"The vote has changed the country, and it changed us," as Yushchenko told -"The New York Times"
January 3, 2005.
Mr. Yanukovich's campaign team vowed to take their legal fight for the presidency to Ukraine's Supreme Court even as the presumptive president-elect, the opposition leader Viktor A. Yushchenko, mapped out plans for his inauguration and first 100 days in office.
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"The vote has changed the country, and it changed us," Mr. Yushchenko told Ukrainians in a New Year's greeting issued four days after their third presidential balloting in two months.
The voting last Sunday was ordered by the Supreme Court after it annulled the first runoff election, held Nov. 21, ruling that the results that gave victory to Mr. Yanukovich were tainted by fraud. Sunday's election resulted in a solid win for Mr. Yushchenko, according to preliminary results. Final results can be announced only after all appeals are exhausted.
Mr. Yanukovich submitted a 27-volume complaint to the Central Election Commission, including claims that at least 4.8 million people - mainly disabled and sick - were deprived of their right to vote by election rule changes introduced after the first runoff. It also alleged that there were problems with voter lists, that not enough ballots were printed and that people illegally campaigned on election day.
The 15-member election commission unanimously rejected the complaint.
"Evidence submitted in the claim does not prove mass violations" and could not "influence the results of the vote," said Marina Stavniychuk, a commission member.
Mr. Yanukovich's campaign manager, Taras Chornovyl, said they would appeal to the high court, but he sounded pessimistic. "I could forecast the decision of the Supreme Court, but it would be wrong to take defeat for granted," he said.
International monitors reported no widespread problems in Sunday's voting.
Preliminary results show Mr. Yushchenko won Sunday's election with 52 percent of the votes to Mr. Yanukovich's 44.2 percent.
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