Ukrainian PM leads presidential race, runoff ahead

Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych led the presidential elections by gaining 45.5 percent of the vote with about 50 percent of the votes counted, said the Ukrainian Central Elections Commission Monday.

His main challenger, opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, received 34.3 percent, said the commission.

If both of them fail to score the 50 percent needed to win outright in the first round, a winner-take-all runoff between the two will be held on Nov. 21.

But Sergei Kivalov, chief of the commission, said no definite conclusion should be made" until we get a fuller picture of the vote."

Altogether 24 candidates compete in the elections in the formerSoviet republic, and about 75 percent of the 37.6 million eligibleUkrainians cast ballots, breaking the required 50 percent barrier,said the commission.

However, two exit polls conducted by two Ukrainian research institutes, put Yushchenko ahead of the prime minister, but both fell short of 50 percent of the vote.

According to one poll, Yushchenko scored 45.2 percent and the prime minister netted 36.8 percent. The other survey gave Yushchenko a narrow lead, 41.98 percent to 40.11.

Early Monday, in a live television broadcast, Yushchenko declared victory, saying he won more than 50 percent of the vote, citing his campaign observers.

Meanwhile, Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted Yushchenko's aides as saying that an independent count of 55 percent of votes showed Yushchenko won 49.9 percent and Yanukovych got only 30.6 percent.

Yanukovych, 54, supports closer ties with Russia and vows to make Russian the second official language.

His rival, 50-year-old Yushchenko, champions Ukraine's integration into the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Source: Xinhua