Ukraine parliament says poll is invalid

Ukraine's parliament, in a vote providing a moral boost for opposition supporters massed in the capital, said yesterday that the disputed presidential poll handing victory to Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich was invalid.

Parliament has no legal authority to annul the election results, but with vast crowds backing liberal challenger Viktor Yushchenko's call for a new vote, the declaration carries political weight. It comes two days ahead of a Supreme Court case examining Yuschenko's complaints of poll irregularities and as EU president the Netherlands said the bloc wanted to see new elections.

The chamber passed by a large majority a resolution proclaiming the November 21 poll was invalid, subject to many irregularities and failing to reflect voters' intentions. But at the end of a highly charged emergency session, it failed to pass a motion on staging a rerun of the vote.

After a day of talks with his rival on Friday, overseen by mediators from Russia and the EU, Yushchenko told a crowd of supporters in Kiev he wanted a new poll on December 12.

In eastern Ukraine, the prime minister's power base, similarly large crowds have backed Yanukovich as president. The chamber also expressed no confidence in the Central Election Commission and called on outgoing President Leonid Kuchma to appoint new members.

Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will examine Yushchenko's complaints of widespread poll irregularities.