Ukraine ruling party wins vote; observers critical
Source: McClatchy News
Tuesday, October 30, 2012 1:04 AM EDT
Ukraine ruling party wins vote; observers critical
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
KIEV, Ukraine Ukraine's ruling party Monday retained its parliamentary majority, as the country's fragmented opposition failed to make significant gains in an election that international observers have called a "step backwards" for democracy in the former Soviet country.
With three-quarters of the ballots in Sunday's election counted, the pro-Russian Regions Ukraine party of President Viktor Yanukovych won 33 percent of the vote, the Central Election Commission said.
Regions officials have already claimed victory. The party's Communist allies, meanwhile, won 14 percent.
The results showed lower support for the three main opposition parties. The commission said the opposition Motherland party, headed by jailed former premier Yulia Tymoshenko, received 23 percent of the vote.
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