KIEV, Ukraine - The party of Ukraine's prime minister, who has championed the country's Russian-speaking east, appeared to hold the lead Friday before parliamentary elections, prompting a last-minute reconciliation between his divided, Western-oriented opponents.
Sunday's vote was called early to end a political deadlock pitting forces loyal to Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych against those of President Viktor Yushchenko, elected following the mass protests in 2004 that became known as the Orange Revolution.
But experts predict the electorate will split their votes between Yanukovych's forces and those led by Yushchenko and his occasional ally, Yulia Tymoshenko.
Yanukovych's Party of Regions, which draws its support from the mainly Russian-speaking east and south, appears likely to get the most votes, giving him a strong chance of remaining prime minister, according to the most recent polls. But Tymoshenko, the blond-braided former prime minister and Orange Revolution heroine, is also a likely contender for the premier's job.
Voters in the Yanukovych strongholds of the industrial east are eager to maintain Ukraine's traditional ties to Russia. The parties of Tymoshenko and Yushchenko are more popular in central and western regions, where nationalist feelings run higher and voters hope to expand ties with Europe and the West.
Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko is expected to come in second, trailed by the pro-Yushchenko Our Ukraine-People's Self-defense group. But if they follow through on a last-minute decision to work together, their combined forces could outnumber Yanukovych's in the parliament, called the Verkhovna Rada.
All three parties held last-minute rallies in central Kiev on Friday.
Yushchenko has called for unity between the once-estranged Orange forces, hinting he could support Tymoshenko as prime minister.
"I would like to say that we only have one option: forming a democratic coalition. Period," Yushchenko said while meeting with Tymoshenko on Thursday. "There won't be any other coalition."
Yuriy Lutsenko, leader of Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense, predicted that a majority coalition between his party and Tymoshenko's would be forged the day after the vote.
"I am convinced that ... Ukraine will get a pro-Ukrainian democratic majority," he told thousands of supporters in downtown Kiev on Friday.
Tymoshenko has long called for such a pact, and she cheered the president's decision. "I believe in our victory, the victory of the democratic team, which — having learned from its mistakes — will work even more effectively," she told reporters.
Analysts are skeptical the vote will bring an end to the political gridlock that has paralyzed Ukraine's government for months.
Experts say the constitution does not clearly explain the division of power between the president and prime minister, and both Yushchenko and Yanukovych have struggled for dominance. Experts say the deadlock is likely to continue until the constitution is changed to clarify who is in charge of what.
Election fraud is another concern. Yanukovych claimed victory in the 2004 presidential race only to have the vote declared fraudulent by the court. This time, his administration is in charge of running the election.
Yanukovych has dismissed fears of voter fraud, instead accusing the forces of Tymoshenko and Yushchenko of planning it. At a rally last week, he told supporters that if the election is stolen, "simple people will rise up" and "someone won't have time to fly out of the country."
Yanukovych aide Taras Chernovil told The Associated Press that his party was prepared for mass protests. "Acts of civil disobedience may become a reality, and we are ready for that."
Tymoshenko dismissed such statements as proof of Yanukovych's insecurity, and accused his party of "preparing pretexts to annul election results."
In an echo of the Orange Revolution, Yanukovych and Tymoshenko followers have erected competing tent camps in downtown Kiev. Both sides say they are ready to stage protests if they judge the vote to be fraudulent.
The Central Election Commission is split down the middle between members loyal to Yushchenko and Yanukovych.
Some analysts say the commission may end up deadlocked when it comes time to certify the results — creating yet another political crisis in this former Soviet republic of 47 million people.
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