Tymoshenko sure of election victory, says any margin enough
30/01/201001:07
KIEV, January 30 (RIA Novosti) - Yulia Tymoshenko, the runner-up in Ukraine's presidential race, has said she was sure of her victory a week before the second round of voting, the UNIAN news agency has reported.
Viktor Yanukovych, the leader of the opposition Party of Regions, won 35% of the vote in the first round, 10 percentage points more than Tymoshenko. Political scientists do not rule out that Tymoshenko and her supporters might stage large-scale street protests or accuse her opponent of election fraud if she loses the elections.
"Yes, I will win... I'm not forecasting margins, [but] I foresee victory. I think, any margin would do to declare the victory of the [newly elected] president," she said late on Friday, speaking on air of the Inter TV channel.
She declared "consolidation of democratic forces" as her top priority.
"My second step will be to sign the [2010] budget, which the parliament had left on the shelf six month ago," she said.
Tymoshenko last week accused Yanukovych of attempting to secure victory in the second round by bribing losing candidates from the first round with the promise of seats in the parliament. Yanukovych hit back on Thursday during a visit to Simferopol by accusing the prime minister of trying to sabotage voting in areas where he is expected to do best.
