Orange Alliance Claims Win in Ukraine

Dynamic, pro-Western Yulia Tymoshenko leading close electon
By Lucas Laursen,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 1, 2007 7:59 AM CDT
Orange Alliance Claims Win in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, left, kisses the hand of Yulia Tymoshenko, former Ukrainian prime minister and leader of the opposition prior their talks in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007. Ukraine will hold an early parliamentary election on Sept. 30 aimed at ending months of political...   (Associated Press)

Yulia Tymoshenko, former prime minister and tempestuous ally to Orange Revolution leader Victor Yushchenko, has claimed victory in yesterday's Ukrainian parliamentary election. In votes counted so far, she’s won 33.15% of the vote, to current PM Viktor Yanukovych’s 31.02%, and plans to form a coalition government with Yushchenko’s party, which has 15.54% of the vote, reports the Guardian. Yanukovych has not conceded the election.

In 2004, Tymoshenko and Yushchenko defeated Russian-supported Yanukovych, but a spat in 2005 saw Yushchenko kick Tymoshenko out as PM and place her briefly under arrest. The former businesswoman has a reputation for being prickly.The country is politically divided between the Russian-sympathizing east and the Europe-looking west. (More Tymoshenko stories.)

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