Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich had a lead of three percentage points over opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko in Ukraine's presidentialrun-off, figures from the Central Electoral Commission showed on Monday. (Photo: Xinhua/Reuters) 

Yanukovich had a lead of about six percentage points over opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko in Ukraine's presidential run-off, according to the first results announced early Monday.

Ukraine's top election official, Serhiy Kivalov, said Yanukovich had won 51.17 of the vote and Yushchenko won 45.44 percent, with 26 percent of precincts counted.

However, Kivalov did not disclose where the votes had been counted so far in the election.

Earlier, exit polls, conducted by anonymous questionnaires under a program funded by several Western governments, including the United States, said the Western-leaning candidate Yushchenkoled with 54 percent of the vote and Yanukovych trailed with 43 percent.

Before the announcement of the initial election results, a crowd of about 5,000 Yushchenko supporters massed in Kiev's main square, protesting against alleged election fraud.

According to other reports, his supporters will hold a large-scale rally in the square on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, allies of Yanukovich claimed that the rally and other protesting movements are aimed to foment unrest and seize power.

On Sunday, Ukrainians began casting their ballots in the country's presidential run-off election, which pits Western-leaning opposition leader Yushchenko against Russian-backed Yanukovich.

The two candidates each won around 40 percent of the vote in the first round of the presidential election held on Oct. 31.

On Nov. 6, leader of the Socialist party Olexander Moroz announced to extend support to Yushchenko.

In the first round of elections, Moroz was in a third place with 5.83 percent of the vote.