Yushchenko faces battle in east

Viktor Yushchenko, apparent victor in Ukraine's presidential poll, risks stiff resistance if he neglects Russian-speaking eastern areas that largely opposed him, a top official in his rival's camp said. "It's impossible to be president of half the country," Vladislav Lukyanov said after results showing Mr Yushchenko defeating Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich in Sunday's poll.

"If Ukraine recognises Yushchenko as president, then I think he must start a dialogue with Yanukovich," he said.

Mr Yaunkovich, whose victory in a November poll was annulled amid mass protests on accusations of rigging, drew much of his support from Donbass coalfields, steel mills and other industrial plants of the east.

Workers in the east fear Mr Yushchenko's West-leaning market policies could accelerate decline and cause widespread unemployment.

Mr Yanukovich, however, said Sunday's vote was marked by violations of the constitution and of human rights; he would not recognise the results and was appealing to the Supreme Court.

Mr Lukyanov, deputy head of Mr Yanukovich's election headquarters in Donetsk, main city in the Donbass area, told Reuters in an interview held before Mr Yanukovich denounced the poll:

"If Yushchenko doesn't find a common language with Donbass, he'll face very serious and well organised opposition, and really that won't be in the best interests of Ukraine,"

He said a new Ukrainian president would have to reinvigorate eastern Ukraine's key economic sectors.

"Without that we're not going anywhere," he said. He showed some sign of recognising Mr Yushchenko was set to become president, softening rhetoric used so far.

Citing Mr Yushchenko's previous roles as a central banker and prime minister, he said: "Yes, he does have potential pluses."

But, without offering an answer, he put the question: "Does he have the wisdom and understanding to be president of all Ukraine?"

The campaign has reignited mistrust between the east and west of Ukraine, with new fears expressed that the country could split in terms of language and culture.

After the Supreme Court, citing mass cheating, struck down Mr Yanukovich's victory in the previous November 21 runoff, protests erupted in Donetsk.

That was a mirror image of mass rallies for more than two weeks by Mr Yushchenko's supporters backing his allegations that the poll was rigged.

But although many people yesterday still sported the blue scarves of Mr Yanukovich's campaign in Donetsk, a Stalinist-era city of 1.3 million, the atmosphere was calm and subdued.

Representatives of both candidates discounted the possibility of further upheaval.

Mykhailo Volynets, a parliamentarian and Mr Yushchenko's representative in Donetsk, said his candidate had done much for the region and miners as Prime Minister from late 1999 to 2001. And he would do so again.

"I am from Donetsk," he told Reuters. "I know that there will not be protests among miners."

Mr Yanukovich's campaign office was full of reminders of the bitterness of the campaign.

One poster showed a close up of Mr Yushchenko's face, pock-marked after he suffered dioxin poisoning in mysterious circumstances, with the caption: "The new face of Ukraine?"