The Ukraine Supreme Court ruled Friday evening that the results of the second round of the presidential elections is invalid and order to hold a revote for the second round of election.
Court chairman Anatoly Yaremen announced the ruling which was broadcasted live, saying that "a repeat vote" should be arranged three weeks counting from Dec. 5.
The ruling makes it clear that a revote for the second round of the runoff would be held before Dec. 26, suggesting a victory for the opposition camp.
The ruling cheered up tens of thousands of supporters for opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, who gathered at the Independence Square to watch the hearings at the court.
"This a great victory for the opposition," said Viatcheslav Brioukhovetsky, president of the University of Kiev Mohyla Academy, when answering a phone call from Xinhua.
The court made the verdict after five days of hearings on the appeal filed by the opposition, who asked to declare the Nov. 21 runoff invalid for there were fraudulent practices in eastern provinces to give favor to Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich.
The core of the fights between Yanukovich's camp and the opposition camp lies on whether to hold an entire new presidential election or merely a revote for the second round of election.
On Wednesday, after holding talks with international mediators, Yushchenko proposed to hold a revote for the second round of elections on Dec. 19.
The ruling is a slap on the face of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, who proposed on Wednesday to hold an entire new presidential election, aiming to preserve a chance to win the election for his camp by selecting a new candidate.
Yushchenko rejected Kuchma's proposal, demanding that the authority set a date for the revote for the second round of elections as soon as possible after the ruling is made.
He noted that the country is on the brink of economic crisis, and the only way to save Ukraine is to organize a revote for the second round of the presidential elections.
The ruling would frustrate Russia as Russian President VladimirPutin said Friday he favored an entire new election when meeting with Kuchma.
It is not clear how long the preparations for a revote would take. But a member of the Central Election Commission told Interfax that at least 21-45 days are needed to prepare an entire new election.
Brioukhovetsky told Xinhua he expected the revote would be held on around Dec. 20, and Prof. George Butsan from the National Technical University of Ukraine made a similar judgment.
As the Ukraine election standoff dragged on into the 12th day, the Ukrainian parliament voted Friday to ask Kuchma to withdraw Ukrainian troops back from Iraq, signaling that Kuchma's influence over the parliament has declined.
Before the ruling was announced, hundreds of opposition supporters gathered outside of the Supreme Court, voicing support for Yushchenko.
The Ukrainian opposition camp announced on Thursday evening to resume the blockage of the presidential and governmental buildings, pressing Kuchma to approve the parliament's no-confidence motion to dismiss Yanukovich's government.
Tens of thousands of protesters continue to gathered at the Independence Square, the hub for the opposition demonstrations since the election stalemate emerged on Nov. 21.
(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2004)
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