- Title: UKRAINE: POLLS CLOSE, VOTES ARE COUNTED, IN UKRAINIAN ELECTIONS
- Date: 31st October 2004
- Summary: (U7) KIEV, UKRAINE (OCTOBER 31, 2004) (REUTERS) FOR DETAILED SHOTLIST 1 - 12 SEE PROD 15677/04: 1. OFFICIAL OPENING BALLOT BOX 0.08 2. OFFICIALS 0.13 3. BALLOT PAPERS BEING REMOVED FROM BALLOT BOX 0.26 4. VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS COUNTING VOTES 0.45 5. WIDE OF POLLING STATION INTERIOR 0.52 (W7) KIEV, UKRAINE (OCTOBER 31, 2004) (REUTERS) 6. WIDE OF THE NEWS CONFERENCE OF THE UKRAINIAN POLLSTER 0.56 7. MEDIA 1.00 8. MCU (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN POLLSTER REPRESENTATIVE ILYA KUCHERIV, SAYING: "By the method of anonymous questioning the main results are: Yuschenko - 45, 23%, Yanukovich - 36, 74, sorry, 36, 79%. By the interview method: Yuschenko - 41, 98%, Yanukovich - 40, 11%. That's the main results." 1.17 9. VIKTOR YUSCHENKO PORTRAIT ON THE SCREEN AT HIS ELECTION HEADQUARTERS 1.21 10. UKRAINE TV PRESENTER ANNOUNCES THE LEAD OF VIKTOR 1.43 11. PEOPLE AT YUSCHENKO HEADQUARTERS 1.50 12. VIKTOR YUSCHENKO PORTRAIT ON THE SCREEN AT HIS ELECTION HEADQUARTERS 1.53 (W1) KIEV, UKRAINE (NOVEMBER 1, 2004)(REUTERS) 13. PAN OF CENTRAL ELECTORAL AUTHORITY GIVING PRESS CONFERENCE 2.03 14. CU SCREENS SHOWING RESULTS FROM VARIOUS REGIONS 2.10 15. MCU HEAD OF ELECTORAL COMMISSION GIVING FIRST RETURNS/CU OF SCREENS (2 SHOTS) 2.33 16. SLV MILITARY TRUCKS CARRYING SOLDIERS OUTSIDE BUILDING (2 SHOTS) 2.46 17. SV YUSCHENKO AND SUPPORTERS COMING TO HEADQUARTERS 2.50 18. SLV YUSCHENKO WALKING ON STAGE 2.54 19. SV SUPPORTERS CHEERING 2.57 20. SLV (Ukrainian) LIBERAL PRESIDENTIAL CHALLENGER VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO, SAYING: "An event which Ukrainian democracy was cherishing for so long, happened today. Ukraine democratic forces have scored a victory." 3.10 21. MCU (Ukrainian) YUSCHENKO SAYING: "Our parallel count which my headquarters has provided gives Victor Yuschenko 50.34 percent, Victor Yanukovich 27.86 percent." 3.34 22. SV PEOPLE CHEERING 3.37 23. SLV (Ukrainian) YUSCHENKO SAYING: "Today our people said that this authority can be defeated, I think it is a great present for Ukraine at the end 2004." 3.59 24. SV AUDIENCE 4.05 25. SLV YUSCHENKO LEAVING STAGE 4.15 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 15th November 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Reuters ID: LVAC2Q7PW3TYD6K16XZBCUTO30RO
- Story Text: Polls close, votes are counted, in Ukrainian election.
Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich took an early lead
in Ukraine's presidential election, partial results showed
on Monday, in a poll which could decide whether the
ex-Soviet state turns East or West.
But liberal challenger Viktor Yushchenko said exit
polls and estimates from his own side gave him a clear lead
after Sunday's first round of polling and told cheering
supporters in Kiev: "Democracy has won".
The Central Electoral Commission said with 30 percent
of votes counted Yanukovich had 47.3 percent and Yushchenko
32.7.
But electoral commission chief Sergei Kivalov
cautioned: "I think we should not make any definite
conclusions until we get a fuller picture of the vote."
The Western-leaning Yushchenko told supporters: "Tens
of millions of Ukrainians have been waiting for democracy
to win. The Ukrainian people showed today that the
authorities can be defeated."
He was speaking after two exit polls gave him the edge.
According to one Ukrainian exit poll, Yushchenko scored
45.2 percent to 36.8 percent for the prime minister.
Another survey gave Yushchenko a tighter lead, 41.98
percent to 40.11. The other 22 candidates trailed far
behind.
The polls showed neither Yushchenko nor Yanukovich
backed by Ukraine's establishment oriented towards
neighbouring Russia -- had won the 50 percent needed for an
outright first-round victory.
Yushchenko said an independent count of the first 30
percent of votes gave him 50 percent against 28 percent for
Yanukovich.
"The outcome is a clear setback for Yanukovich who
clearly expected another result," independent analyst
Volodymyr Polokhalo said.
However, other exit polls, overseen by Russian
pollsters and quoted by Moscow media, gave Yanukovich a
small lead.
Both candidates, who look set to meet in a run-off
vote on November 21, have their distinctive power bases.
Yushchenko is supported by nationalist Western Ukraine,
while Yanukovich has most of his voters in the
Russian-speaking industrial East.
Experts said the discrepancy in the figures so far
could be explained by the fact that Yushchenko and the
electoral commission had received figures from areas with
different loyalties.
The Yanukovich camp made no statement after the poll.
Both sides had accused the other of trying to subvert
the election and vowed to count returns independently. Any
major discrepancy between exit polls and official results
is certain to fuel fresh claims of election-rigging.
The United States and the European Union voiced concern
at some aspects of the campaign and called for a clean
vote. European observers said many voters had been turned
away from polling stations as their names were absent from
lists.
The election, the most hotly contested of post-Soviet
times, offered Ukrainians the choice of intensifying
traditional links with Moscow or gradual movement towards
the West.
Yanukovich, chosen as a successor by outgoing President
Leonid Kuchma, relies on figures showing two years of solid
growth and on proposed closer ties with Moscow. Kremlin
leader Vladimir Putin endorsed his record in Kiev this
week.
Yushchenko, an advocate of liberal economics and
gradual moves towards the West, also served as prime
minister under Kuchma and denounces his scandal-plagued
mandate as corrupt. He had predicted widespread fraud to
keep him out of office.
Both hopefuls know the importance of good ties with
Russia, Ukraine's giant neighbour which ran its affairs for
300 years, but big differences in policy and philosophy
divide them.
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