Ukraine's opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko has hailed the Supreme Court's decision to annul the result of last month's disputed presidential election as a victory for democracy. He urged outgoing President Leonid Kuchma to fire the Cabinet and demanded a quick reshuffle of the Central Election Commission.

Speaking to tens of thousands of ecstatic supporters in the center of the capital Kiev, Yushchenko hailed the court's judges as "true heroes".

Opposition Leader Viktor Yushchenko said, "There is a nation that wants to make a choice and it makes its choice. And the most unique thing is that it can defend its choice. I want to ask you today to give special applause to the justices of the Supreme Court."

The court said it was satisfied with almost all of the opposition's demands and ordered a repeat of the November 21 run-off as Yuschenko and his supporters had sought.

Outgoing President Leonid Kuchma had pushed for a new election from scratch, not just a repeat of the run-off. Yushchenko said the opposition would now put pressure on Kuchma to sack Yanukovich, the official winner of the November 21 run-off.

He also pushed for a quick reshuffle of the Central Election Commission, saying it had "betrayed" the nation by endorsing the fraudulent vote. Enditem