UKRAINE: The final result remains several days away, but Ukraine's election officials declared last night that opposition leader Mr Viktor Yushchenko had won the country's presidential election.
With all ballots counted, Mr Yushchenko had 51 per cent of the vote, beating Mr Viktor Yanukovich with 44 per cent. But new measures to guard against the fraud that saw last month's election annulled, mean it will be several days before the result can be confirmed.
Nevertheless, Mr Yushchenko last night announced his victory before adoring crowds of orange-clad supporters in Kiev's Independence Square.
The protesters have occupied the square in the so-called Tent City for more than five weeks, and last night their chants of "Yushchenko, Yushchenko" had a weary ring.
As congratulations came in from around the world, Russia, fearing a loss of influence, has yet to comment on the outcome but complained of the same irregularities as in the earlier poll.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder told Mr Yushchenko the result was a "victory of the courageous citizens of your country, who committed themselves to free and fair elections."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mr Alexander Yakovenko said: "Violations characteristic of the first and second round of voting repeated themselves."
Yanukovich officials continued to refuse to accept the result, repeating calls made by their leader earlier in the week for the Supreme Court to investigate election violations.
Mr Yanukovich said he has evidence of fraud by the opposition.
However, his complaint is unlikely to be upheld by the Supreme Court, following announcements by international monitors that voting on Sunday was largely free and fair.
After weeks of tension and the so-called Orange Revolution which saw much of the capital rise up in protest, Ukraine seems set for two weeks of hiatus before Mr Yushchenko is installed, probably on January 11th.
Until then the outgoing president, Mr Leonid Kuchma, remains in office, with Mr Yanukovich as prime minister, despite investigations by prosecutors that the two men perpetrated the November election fraud.
Mr Yushchenko has told his supporters to march today to blockade the government's Council of Ministers building to prevent Mr Yanukovich's cabinet from meeting.
Mr Yushchenko's allies are beginning the difficult task of trying to heal divisions which have seen the country split between the pro-western opposition and pro-eastern government.
Ms Julia Tymoshenko, Mr Yushchenko's glamorous ally and tipped as his choice for prime minister, has begun gathering a petition full of "words of friendship". She told cheering crowds last night she will take it to the eastern Don Bas region.