Yanukovich wins presidential election: preliminary results

Supporters of Ukrainian opposition leader and presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych react during a rally, in front of Central Election Commission, in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 8, 2010, with flags of the Party of Regions at the background. Yanukovich beat competitor Yulia Tymoshenko in Sunday's presidential runoff by a small margin, with 98 percent of the ballots counted, preliminary official results showed.(AFP Photo)

The photo taken on Feb. 8, 2010 shows the real-time ballot on a screen at the Ukraine Central Election Committee (CEC) in Kiev, capital of Ukraine, Feb. 8, 2010. Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich continues to lead in the presidential runoff by over 2 percentage points, with more than 93% percent of the ballots proceeded, according to results published by the Ukraine CEC on Monday. (Xinhua/Mu Liming)

The photo taken on Feb. 8, 2010 shows the real-time ballot on a screen at the Ukraine Central Election Committee (CEC) in Kiev, capital of Ukraine, Feb. 8, 2010. Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich continues to lead in the presidential runoff by over 2 percentage points, with more than 93% percent of the ballots proceeded, according to results published by the Ukraine CEC on Monday. (Xinhua/Mu Liming)

KIEV, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich beat competitor Yulia Tymoshenko in Sunday's presidential runoff by a small margin, with 98 percent of the ballots counted, preliminary official results showed Monday.

Yanukovich gained 48.54 percent of the votes while incumbent Prime Minister Tymoshenko took 45.87 percent, according to the results from the Ukraine Central Election Committee.

It's not likely for Tymoshenko to catch up with Yanukovich as 98 percent of the votes have been counted.

Alexander Torshin, head of the observer mission of the Commonwealth of Independent States Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, told reporters on Monday that the election was largely consistent with democratic norms.

Joao Soares, head of the observation mission from the OSCE (the Organization for Security and Co-operation), said that the vote was an impressive display of democratic elections.

Tymoshenko has hinted that she would stage a replay of the Orange Revolution if the election was found to have been rigged in favor of Yanukovich. She is yet to make a statement.

If elected, Yanukovich will become the country's fourth president since independence in 1991.