Ukrainian Prime Minister, presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych vowed Wednesday not to quit his post despite mounting pressure from his rival.

"I in principle will not write a statement (of resignation)," Yanukovych said in a press conference in his Kiev campaign headquarters.

He said that the main task of his team is to defend in the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the Supreme Court the choice for Ukraine "by all legal means."

According to the preliminary results of the Dec. 26 presidential election, released by the CEC on Tuesday, Yanukovych's rival, opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, won 51.99 percent ofthe vote against Yanukovych's 44.19 percent.

The CEC has yet to officially declare the results.

Yanukovych's statement came after he was forced to cancel a Cabinet meeting.

Several hundred of Yushchenko's supporters gathered in front of the government office Wednesday morning by a Yushchenko's call late Tuesday to block the building to prevent Yanukovych from heading the meeting.

"Yushchenko won the election. We hope that he will successfullytake office," said Katerina, an elderly woman from the western city of Lvov, explaining why she was among the protestors outside the government compound.

The blockade ended at the news that the meeting was canceled.

The meeting, however, took place later, but without Yanukovych's participant, according to Ukrinform, Ukrainian national news agency.

Nestor Shufrych, Yanukovych's representative in the CEC, said that the Yanukovych team would file an appeal to the Supreme Courtagainst the election results if the CEC turns down the same appeal,filed by the team Tuesday midnight.

"If the CEC decision does not satisfy us, we will appeal to theSupreme Court," Shufrych told a press conference.

He said the major argument for annulling the revote result was "the conduct of the vote in conditions of a revolutionary situation in the country."

He added that Yanukovych is prepared for any turn of events -- another revote or new elections.

He confirmed that they had submitted a 27-volume appeal to the Central Election Commission asking that Sunday's vote be declared invalid.

Yaroslav Davydovych, the CEC head, said that the CEC would on Thursday continue examining the complaints lodged after the voting,particularly, the appeal from Yanukovych.

Yanukovych won a disputed Nov. 21 presidential run-off, that triggered a weeks-long protest by Yushchenko's supporters. The Supreme Court later annulled the election results after the Yushchenko team filed an appeal, demanding to declare the vote invalid due to massive fraud.

The court also ruled a revote of the presidential run-off to beheld on Dec. 26.

Source: Xinhua