By Monday night it was clear that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions would stay in power even as international observers and the opposition criticized Sunday's Parliamentary elections.
With 80 percent of the ballots counted, Yanukovych's party has so far captured 34 percent of the vote and the Communist Party, its traditional ally, secured 15 percent. That tally is enough to give Yanukovych's coalition a majority in the country's 450-seat parliament.
Opposition parties had a strong showing despite being at a disadvantage, but still not enough to wrest control from Yanukovych's party. The United Opposition bloc, which includes the Fatherland party of jailed opposition leader and former Prime Minster Yulia Tymoshenko, is in second place with some 23 percent of the vote. The UDAR, or "STRIKE" party, of former heavyweight boxer Vitali Klitschko won around 13 percent of the votes.
The far-right Svoboda or Freedom party secured 9 percent, giving it seats in parliament for the first time.
Read Full Article »