Pro-Russian party leads Ukraine poll

KIEV: Ukraine's main pro-Russian opposition party led ballot tallies on Wednesday after a weekend parliamentary election, grabbing 31.78 per cent of the vote with 97 per cent of polling stations reporting.   

In second place after the Regions Party, headed by Russia-friendly ex-premier Viktor Yanukovych, was the bloc of "orange revolution" heroine Yulia Tymoshenko with 22.34 per cent.   

President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine bloc was in third place with 14.17 per cent. The other two parties expected to make it into parliament after Sunday's vote were the Socialists with 5.77 per cent and the Communists with 3.65 per cent. Election officials say comprehensive results may come later on Wednesday.

The announcement of the final results has been repeatedly delayed as election officials struggle with the metre-long ballots, which included 45 candidates for the Upper Rada legislature.