Presidential run-off election gets underway in Ukraine

The second round of the presidential election has begun in Ukraine. Participating in the run-off election are two candidates - Regions Party leader Viktor Yanukovych and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who both won the most votes in the January 17 election and left behind the remaining 16 candidates, who also battled for the country's top office in the first round.

Nearly 37 million eligible voters will be able to vote at 33,677 polling stations in Ukraine and at 113 districts in Ukraine's diplomatic institutions in 76 countries.

The country's presidential election will be monitored by 3,780 official observers from foreign states and international organizations, which is 631 people more than the number of observers registered for the first round of the election on January 17.

Under the current law, the Central Election Commission should announce the official result of the presidential run-off vote within ten days, but no later than on the third day of the receipt of all returns from district election commissions.

A newly elected Ukrainian president should assume office no later than 30 days after the official announcement of election returns. The presidential inauguration ceremony will take place in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament.

UKRINFORM