Tymoshenko 5% behind Yanukovych after half of votes counted

Ukraine's opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych is 5% ahead of his presidential opponent Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko after 52.08% of ballots have been counted.

Yanukovych, who lost in the 2004 presidential election to incumbent president Viktor Yushchenko, is ahead with 49.64%, while Tymoshenko has gained 44.72% of the ballots counted so far.

Ukraine's Central Election Commission said that, the voter turnout was 69%, slightly more than in the January 17 first round that saw Yanukovych gain 35.32% of the vote and Tymoshenko 25.05%.

Andriy Mahera, a deputy head of the Central Election Commission, said earlier that preliminary results would be announced on Monday evening, but his colleague Mikhailo Okhedrovskiy said the results would be ready no earlier than February 10.

KIEV, February 8 (RIA Novosti)