Yanukovych, Tymoshenko qualify for runoff, 10% of votes still to be counted
KYIV. Jan 18 (Interfax) - With 90.03% of votes counted, Ukraine's Central Elections Commission (CEC) is putting the Party of Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych ahead in the first round of the presidential election with 35.39% of the vote, with his closest rival Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko garnering 24.97%.
The numbers mean Yanukovych and Tymoshenko have qualified for a second round of voting to take place on February 7.
Businessman and politician Sergiy Tigipko trails in third with 13.07%.
6.98% of voters opted for leader of the Front of Change Arseniy Yatsenyuk and 5.42% for incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko.
The Communist Party leader Petro Simonenko collected 3.54% of the vote, Rada speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn 2.33%, nationalist leader Oleh Tyahnybok 1.45%, and Anatoly Grytsenko 1.21%. Inna Bohoslovska sits in tenth position with 0.42% of the vote.
2.21% of the voters did not support any of the 18 candidates.