Ukraine's election commission processes 25% of voting protocols.

KIEV, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - The head of Ukraine's opposition Party
of Regions, Viktor Yanukovich, gained support of 38.16 percent of voters,
while Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko received 24.27 percent of votes, the
central election commission said after having processed 25 percent of the
voting protocols.

Former economy minister Sergei Tigipko came third with 12.26 percent.
Former parliamentary speaker Arseny Yatesnyuk got 6.54 percent,
Incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko - 4.73 percent, Communist Party
leader Pyotr Simonenko - 3.73 percent and ex-speaker Vladimir Litvin -
2.49 percent.
Around 2.17 percent of Ukrainians voted against all.


.Tigipko to support new president if modernization policy chosen.

KIEV, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine's presidential candidate Sergei
Tigipko, who came third in the first round of the presidential election,
has expressed readiness to support a new president if he/she pursues a
policy for the country's modernization.
"If a public position on the country's modernization is taken and if
the president is ready to make even unpopular steps and bear
responsibility for them, I am, as any honest man, ready to put my
signature under such policy," he said.
Along with this he refused to name any of the two candidates - Viktor
Yanukovich or Yulia Timoshenko - he was ready to support in the runoff
election on February 7.
On Sunday as the voting ended the leader of Strong Ukraine Party said
he had no intention to support any of the candidates in the runoff.



.Russia's planes to deliver aid from Venezuela to Haiti.

CARACAS, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's two Il-76 planes will
deliver humanitarian consignments from Venezuela to Haiti and will help to
create a regular air bridge between the Caribbean country, South American
states and nine countries, including Cuba, that are members of the
Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, Venezuelan Foreign
Minister Nicolas Maduro told Itar-Tass.
"We are grateful to the Russian government that sent two modern planes
: for us to be able to provide efficient aid to the people of Haiti," he
said at the Caracas Maiquetia International Airport, where two planes of
the Russian Emergencies Ministry landed on Sunday.
The first flight to Port-au-Prince was scheduled at 06:00 Moscow time.
"Every day these planes will deliver to Haiti 80 tonnes of
humanitarian cargoes - fresh water, medicines and food," he said.
Venezuela's government prepared 5,600 tonnes of humanitarian
consignment to be taken to Haiti by ships and planes.



.Ukraine's election returns to be available within 24 hours - CEC.

KIEV, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine's presidential election returns
will become known within 24 hours, the deputy head of the central election
commission, Andrei Magera, told a news conference.
"I hope that we will cope with the counting of votes during this time.
The information is constantly updated," he said.
At present, the central election commission processed ballots at 206
of the 255 polling stations. The voter turnout is 66.72 percent, Magera
said adding that it will not exceed 70 percent.
Thus, the voter turnout is lower as compared to the presidential
elections of 1999 and 2004. In 1999 this figure comprised 73.8 percent and
in 2004 - 74.92 percent.


.Yanukovich leads poll as 40% of ballots processed - CEC.

KIEV, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - The head of Ukraine's Party of Regions,
Viktor Yanukovich, gained support of 36.74 percent of voters and continues
to lead in the first round of the presidential election, the central
election commission reported after 40 percent of the voting protocols have
been processed.
His main opponent, Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko received 24.45
percent of votes.
The runoff election will take place on February 7.


.Yanukovich confident in language law adoption.

KIEV, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - The leader of Ukraine's Party of
Region, Viktor Yanukovich, who won the first round of the Sunday
presidential election, has expressed confidence that in case of his
victory in the runoff he would adopt a law strengthening position of the
Russian language in the country.
"Our party has already initiated over 20 draft laws on the language,
but they were rejected by our opponents and the president," he said.
"I am confident that in case of my victory we will soon find 300 votes
necessary for the adoption of the law. This law envisions the
implementation of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
that has already been ratified by the parliament and will create
conditions for unhampered use of the Russian language and other languages
in all spheres - office administration, courts, medicines and so on,"
Yanukovich said.

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