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The Guardian

Ukrainian court suspends presidential election result after appeal

Court to rule on complaint by prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, that poll won by her rival, Viktor Yanukovych, was flawed

Ukraine's highest court today suspended the results of this month's bitterly contested presidential election following an appeal by Yulia Tymoshenko against the victory of her rival, Viktor Yanukovych. 

The court said it would rule on complaints by Tymoshenko that the election narrowly won by Yanukovych on 7 February had been flawed. Tymoshenko, the prime minister, has refused to concede defeat and appears intent on sabotaging Yanukovych's inauguration on 25 February.

International observers certified the election as free and fair. Today experts said that Tymoshenko's legal action was unlikely to overturn the result of the poll - although it may put off heads of state from attending Yanukovych's swearing-in ceremony.

"I don't think this will throw a spanner in the works," Andrew Wilson, senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said. The court was considering complaints of fraud in Crimea and Donetsk - both Russian-speaking Yanukovych strongholds, he said. Click here for more.