Kiev: Several hundred supporters of Ukrainian President-elect Viktor Yanukovich gathered on Friday outside a Kiev high court where Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's challenge to his election was set to be heard.
Yanukovich, 59, is due to be sworn into office on February 25 after beating Tymoshenko by a narrow margin of 3.5 percentage points in a runoff vote earlier this month.
But the 49-year-old premier says she was robbed of victory by vote-rigging and is taking her case to Kiev's Higher Administrative Court.
Yanukovich, who was denied the top job by the 2004 "Orange Revolution" protests against electoral fraud, and his Regions Party have denied any wrong-doing in the February 7 runoff.
Tymoshenko is trying to force a third round of voting as happened in the Orange Revolution which ended with President Viktor Yushchenko being elected.
She is also trying to get declared illegal the official declaration that Yanukovich was elected.
Inauguration
But few commentators expect her to win and most believe the court will throw out the appeal in time for Yanukovich's inauguration to go ahead next Thursday.
The court said that while it was reviewing her accusations the official results of the election were suspended.
Analysts say Tymoshenko's stubborn refusal to concede to Yanukovich, whose victory has been recognised by Russia and the West, may be aimed at weakening him as much as possible before he takes office and may not be based on a realistic hope of a court victory.
In preparation for Yanukovich's inauguration, parliament yesterday voted to relieve him of his post as a Regions Party deputy.
This was a necessary move since the president can not be directly associated with one or other political party.
Although the court case is not expected to delay the inauguration, Ukraine faces a tough few weeks, if not months, as a new political order takes shape.
Yanukovich's supporters in parliament are trying to win over parties to form a new coalition and if they succeed, a vote of no confidence in Tymoshenko's government is expected.
Investors hope this horsetrading will end within weeks with a stable government capable of bringing back International Monetary Fund lending — suspended, while the economy suffered its worst recession in 15 years, over broken spending promises.
