Viktor Yushchenko, the liberal candidate in Ukraine's presidential election said on Monday, after polls had closed, that authorities were falsifying the results and he called on his supporters to stage peaceful street demonstrations. (Photo: Xinhua/Reuters)

Ukraine's Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich was assured of victory in the just concluded presidential electionvote with more than 99 percent of the vote counted, the country's central election commission said Monday.

With votes counted from 99.14 percent of polling stations Yanukovich secured 49.42 percent of the vote, compared with 46.69 of his Western-leaning rival, Viktor Yushchenko, it said.

Earlier, the commission said Yanukovich had a lead of three percentage points over Yushchenko in the run-off.

The results came as Yushchenko addressed a crowd of some 10,000supporters at the Independence Square in Kiev.

He accused the authorities of rigging the vote and urged his supporters to keep their vigil, while his ally called on Ukrainians to begin a general strike.

Earlier, exit polls, conducted by anonymous questionnaires under a program funded by several Western governments, including the United States, said the pro-West candidate Yushchenko led with 54 percent of the vote and Yanukovich trailed with 43 percent.

According to other reports, Yushchenko's supporters will hold a large-scale rally in the square 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 pro-West 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.