The re-run of Ukraine's presidential election, in which opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko looked set for victory, was substantially fairer than previous polls, international monitors said today.
"I am much happier to be in a position to announce that the Ukrainian elections have moved substantially closer to meet OSCE standards," Mr Bruce George, the head of an Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitoring mission, told a news conference.
The former Soviet state's Supreme Court ordered Sunday's re-run after agreeing with opposition charges that the November 21 vote had been rigged in favour of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich.