Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych declares victory in close vote

PRO-RUSSIAN opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych declared victory in Ukraine's presidential run-off today, but his opponent rejected the claim, saying the vote was too close to call.

Exit polls showed Yanukovych – the main foe of protesters in Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution – with a narrow lead over prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a key figure in those protests.

Ukraine's Central Election Commission reported today that Yanukovych was ahead 49.2 per cent to 45.2 per cent with 61.7 per cent of the vote counted.

If the result stands, a Yanukovych victory could restore much of Moscow's influence in a country that has laboured to build bridges to the West, and would close a chapter in the country's political history that has been defined by the Orange protests.

Polls show that most voters support the political goals of the 2004 Orange revolt, but many are deeply disillusioned with the failure of its leaders to carry out promised reforms.