KREMLIN SET TO RE-ENGAGE ITS MAIN RESOURCE IN THE RUN-UP TO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE UKRAINIAN ELECTIONS

http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=5076882&startrow=1&date=2004-11-11&do_alert=0

MOSCOW, November 11 (RIA Novosti) Viktor Yushchenko, the opposition leader, won the first round of the Ukrainian presidential elections. Yesterday, the Central Election Commission announced the final results after processing all the ballot papers: Mr. Yushchenko polled 39.87 % of votes and Viktor Yanukovich (the current prime minister backed by Moscow) - 39.32%.

Sergei Tigipko, head of Mr. Yanukovich's campaign HQ, told Vedomosti, "in Ukraine, it is not the winner of the first round who usually the wins the runoff." Therefore, he added, Mr. Yanukovich would be at least 3-4% ahead of his rival. Today is the first day when the two candidates are allowed to start their campaigning again.

Yesterday, news broke that Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, would visit the Crimea (Ukrainian autonomy) on Friday. The Crimea's council of ministers confirmed this for Commersant. The Crimean government suggests a direct link between this trip and the Ukrainian elections. Sources in the Ukrainian presidential administration believe that Mr. Putin will meet with Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and Prime Minister Yanukovich.

On October 28, three days before the first round, Vladimir Putin visited Ukraine as well. Then he appeared on three national TV channels in a move that many people interpreted as part of Mr. Yanukovich's election campaign.

Russian experts interviewed by Vedomosti believe that the Yushchenko victory in the first round marks a split in the Ukrainian political and business elite that initially intended to support Mr. Yanukovich, and the Russian factor will not increase the prime minister's chances in the second round. Stanislav Belkovsky, president of the Institute of National Strategy, is convinced that "the votes were calculated a week ago," but "official results" were not announced until after all the interested sides had consulted President Kuchma as to who should be declared the winner. According to Mr. Belkovsky, the Ukrainian leaderwants to ensure that his successor- be it Mr. Yushchenko or Mr. Yanukovich - is as weak as possible