Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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September 30, 2007

Ukraine Votes in Parliamentary Elections
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=19AED08:A6F02AD83191E1604F99B76C6BFB4D4A9574F7DCC14957C0 Western-leaning
President Viktor Yushchenko called the election in an attempt to end a
months-long power struggle with pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor
Yanukovych





Boys play in front of an election poster of President Viktor
Yushchenko, 27 Sep 2007Voters in Ukraine are choosing a new parliament
Sunday, in early elections aimed at ending months of political
gridlock.

Western-leaning President Viktor Yushchenko called the election in an
attempt to end a months-long power struggle with pro-Russian Prime
Minister Viktor Yanukovych.  

The president has been sharing power with his rival in a tense
alliance that has seen the prime minister's party gain significant
legislative strength this year.

Pre-election polls showed the prime minister's bloc was likely to win
the largest share of votes -- but not enough to gain an outright
parliamentary majority.  The president is hoping to form a coalition
between his party and that of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

More than three-thousand election observers from 17 countries are in
Ukraine to monitor the vote.  At least 50 percent of the country's 37
million eligible voters must cast ballots for the election to be
valid.

Ahead of the polls, Mr. Yushchenko said voters face a choice between
political chaos and and a better future.

In the so-called Orange Revolution of 2004, huge public protests
forced Mr. Yanukovych to agree to a rerun of a flawed presidential
election in which he defeated Mr. Yushchenko.  Mr. Yanukovych lost the
second election, but returned as prime minister in 2006, after his
party won the most votes in the last parliamentary election.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.




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