Outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Wednesday that the United
States can not accept the results of Ukrainian election as legitimate and called
for a full review of the tallying of the election result.
"We cannot accept this result as legitimate because it does notmeet
international standards and because there has not been an investigation of the
numerous and credible reports of fraud and abuse," Powell said at a briefing at
the State Department.
"We have been following developments very closely and are deeply disturbed by
the extensive and credible reports of fraud inthe election. We call for a full
review of the conduct of the election and the tallying of the election results,"
Powell said.
Powell said the United States deeply regretted that the Ukrainian authorities
did not take the opportunity of election to demonstrate "their commitment to
democracy and to be a model for the region and the world."
Powell's comments came after Ukraine's Central Election Commission on
Wednesday declared incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich the winner of the
presidential election.
Commission head Serhiy Kivalov said that Yanukovich has won 49.46 percent of
the vote and the opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko gained 46.61 percent.
The White House said on Tuesday that the United States was "deeply disturbed"
by alleged accusations of fraud in Ukraine's presidential election.
"The United States is deeply disturbed by extensive and credible indications
of fraud committed in the Ukrainian presidential election," the White House said
in a statement on Tuesday.
"We strongly support efforts to review the conduct of the elections and urge
Ukrainian authorities not to certify results until investigations of organized
fraud are resolved," the White House said.
US officials have called on the Ukrainian side to take quick action to
address allegations of widespread fraud in the disputed weekend presidential
election.
Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko has claimed that he was denied
victory in the presidential poll by fraud and declared himself president on
Tuesday during an emergency parliament session attended by his supporters.