Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, who had been declared winner of a disputed presidential election, said on Thursday that the Supreme Court has no right to annul the poll results.

"I don't see any justification for that. The election took place. The Central Election Commission recognized it and issued a final result. No one, even the Supreme Court, has the right to annul it," Sergei Tigipko, the prime minister's spokesman, said in a statement.

"Any proposal for a recount of the votes or revote is illogical," he added.

The spokesman reaffirmed Yanukovich's call for talks with the opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko, over the election row.

The comments came after Ukraine's Supreme Court barred the publication of the official election results until it has examined an appeal lodged by the opposition against them.

"Until we have finished examining the appeal, the results of the election cannot be published. Until we have reached a decision,the election results cannot be valid," the court said.

The Yushchenko-led opposition on Thursday appealed to the Supreme Court over the results announced earlier by the Central Election Commission, which declared Yanukovich the winner with 49.46 percent against Yushchenko's 46.61 percent.

But the pro-West Yushchenko refused to recognize the result and called for a nationwide general strike. Both the United States and the European Union (EU) have dismissed the poll as fraudulent.

Hundreds of thousands opposition supporters gathered for the fourth day since Monday in Kiev and other western cities that are the bastion of Yushchenko, pressing for installing the liberal leader as president.

"We are ready for a revote of the second round, but under the condition that we'll have an honest Central Election Commission and there's not shameful administrative pressure," Yushchenko said.

He also demanded the dissolution of the government led by Prime Minister Yanukovich and transparency of the media.

Also on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Yanukovich on victory in the weekend poll.

"The Ukrainian people have made their choice -- a choice in favor of stability, the strengthening of the state, further development of democratic and economic transformation," Putin told Yanukovich in a congratulatory message published by the Kremlin.

He noted that consolidating efforts of Russia and Ukraine, "we will be able to do a great deal to strengthen the European and international security and build a united and prosperous Europe."

The election row also dominated a summit between Putin and EU leaders, who called for a "peaceful" and "constitutional" solution.

Putin told a press conference after the meeting in The Hague, the Netherlands, that the disputes arising in the Ukraine election should be resolved within the constitution and the law framework.

"They need to put law in place and implement that law," Putin said.

Earlier, the Netherlands, which currently holds the rotating EUpresidency, expressed "regret" for the early announcement of the election results.

"We don't accept the election outcome," said Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.

The EU had sent an envoy to Ukraine to discuss with the two contesting camps.

Source: Xinhua