Viktor Yanukovich, former prime minister and leader of the powerful Party of the Regions, which represents the Russian-speaking part of Ukraine in parliament, has emerged as the front-runner in opinion polls ahead of the second round of the presidential election on 7 February. Ukraine faces a 7 February run-off vote between opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich and populist Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko after the first round of presidential elections on 17 January failed to produce an outright winner (EurActiv 18/01/10). The election will define how Ukraine, a former Soviet republic of 46 million people wedged between the European Union and Russia, handles relations with its powerful neighbours and may help unblock frozen IMF aid to its ailing economy. Just days before the first round, Tymoshenko promised that her country would become an EU member if she were elected president (EurActiv 15/01/10). After the first round, Yanukovich led with 38% of the vote, Tymoshenko had 24% and businessman Sergey Tigipko won 13%.
Tymoshenko pressed Tigipko to accept the prime minister's job if she is elected president next month
According to a poll by the Kyiv International Sociology Institute, 55.9% of respondents would support Yanukovych of the Party of Regions (PR) in next month's ballot, while 40.7% would vote for current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. The remaining 3.4% say they would vote against both candidates.
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