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KIEV, Ukraine - Election officials on Thursday rejected Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych's voluminous challenge to results showing he lost this week's presidential revote, saying he did not prove any widespread violations.
Yanukovych's campaign team vowed to take their legal fight for the presidency to Ukraine's Supreme Court even as reformer Viktor Yushchenko mapped out plans for his inauguration and first 100 days in office.
The revote was ordered by the high court after it annulled a Nov. 21 runoff election, ruling the results that gave victory to Yanukovych were tainted by fraud. Sunday's redo resulted in a solid win for Yushchenko, according to preliminary results. Final results can be announced only after all appeals are exhausted.
Yanukovych submitted a 27-volume complaint to the commission, including claims that at least 4.8-million people - mainly disabled and sick - were deprived of their right to vote by election reforms introduced after the first runoff. It also alleged there were problems with voter lists, not enough ballots were printed and people illegally campaigned on election day.
The 15-member Central Election Commission unanimously rejected the complaint. "Evidence submitted in the claim does not prove mass violations" and could not "influence the results of the vote," said Marina Stavniychuk, a commission member.
Yanukovych's campaign manager, Taras Chornovyl, said they would appeal to the high court, but he sounded pessimistic. "I could forecast the decision of the Supreme Court, but it would be wrong to take defeat for granted," he said.
International monitors reported no widespread problems in Sunday's voting - a contrast to their stinging criticism of the Nov. 21 ballot.
"In a year, we will change power," Chornovyl said. That was an allusion to parliamentary elections to be held in 2006, but it was an acknowledgment even Yanukovych's closest advisers held slim hopes of overturning Yushchenko's victory.
As Yanukovych's forces promised to keep the legal fight going, Yushchenko began planning his new administration. He told journalists he already has a 100-day plan and created a committee to fill top Cabinet positions.