The head of the Council of Europe observer mission criticised Ukraine's election today for widespread incompetence and bungling which prevented hundreds of voters from casting their ballots.
"It was completely incompetent in the way it was directed," Ms Hanne Severinsen said. "Queues were huge and people just gave up . . . This means fewer voters were able to cast their vote."
Opposition parties have voiced concerns that the poll would be stolen by pro-presidential parties and warned that Soviet-style ballot-rigging could be widespread.
Those fears eased when an exit poll yesterday put reformist former prime minister Mr Viktor Yushchenko's party in the lead. But early results today have changed, putting the Communist Party first.
Asked if ballot-rigging had taken place, Ms Severinsen said given the level of incompetence, ballot-rigging could have happened.
Ms Severinsen, who criticised the campaign for widespread intimidation and the control that pro-presidential parties had over local electoral commissions, said that in many constituencies voters were confused about procedures.
The Danish liberal said she had monitored the election in a Kiev suburb where 3,000 voters were due to take part in the election, but more than 4,000 turned up and cast their vote.
"That is not illegal but it can change the vote radically," she said.