Ruling Ukrainian party on course for majority

Mr Yanukovich will face an opposition boosted by resurgent nationalists and a liberal party led by boxing champion Vitali Klitschko.

Victory for the ruling Party of the Regions in yesterday's vote will cement the leadership of Mr Yanukovich, who faces re-election in 2015.

His rule has been marked by an accumulation of presidential powers and antagonism with the West over the imprisonment of his rival, opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

After about one third of votes had been counted, the Regions were ahead with 36.2% of the votes in balloting conducted by party lists.

"It is clear the Party of the Regions has won ... These elections signal confidence in the President's policies," Prime Minister Myeloma Azarov told reporters.

A senior Regions official said he expected it to obtain two thirds of the remaining vote in individual districts, enough to give the party a simple majority in the former Soviet republic's 450-seat assembly.

It has ruled until now as a coalition with the communists and other allies.

The biggest surprise came from the nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party which, according to partial results won about 7.8% of the party-list voting.

This means it will have significant representation in parliament for the first time.

The unexpectedly strong showing by Svoboda - which is based in the Ukrainian-speaking west, pursues a strong Ukrainian nationalist agenda.

The party opposes attempts by the regions to promote the Russian language over Ukrainian - boosted opposition ranks that have been weakened by the jailing of Ms Tymoshenko.

The other new opposition wild card in parliament will be held by Klitschko's UDAR (Punch) party which was in fourth place behind the Regions, the communists and the united opposition which includes Ms Tymoshenko's Batkivschyna (Fatherland).

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