� S T A R S A N D S T R I P E S �Wednesday, February 10, 2010 F3HIJKLM K PAGE 9
BY SIMON SHUSTER
AND PETER LEONARD
The Associated Press
KIEV, Ukraine -- Opposi-
tion leader Viktor Yanukovych
emerged as the apparent winner
in Ukraine's presidential con-
test Monday, holding onto a lead
of almost 3 percentage points
with about 99 percent of ballots
counted.
Prime Minister Yulia Tymosh-
enko, who has accused her oppo-
nent of election fraud, was under
increasing pressure to concede
after international vote moni-
tors on Monday called the ballot
"professional, transparent and
honest."
A Yanukovych victory would
close a chapter in the country's
political history by ousting the
pro-Western leadership of the
past five years, which foundered
due to internal divisions, fierce
opposition from Russian-speak-
ing eastern Ukraine and the col-
lapse of the economy.
As president, Yanukovych
would try to balance relations
with Moscow against Europe, tilt-
ing to Moscow where his Orange
Revolution predecessors tilted
West. But his narrow mandate,
Ukraine's deeply divided society
and moribund economy will limit
his ability to implement desper-
ately needed political reforms.
Central Election Commission
data showed Yanukovych garner-
ing 48.7 percent to Tymoshenko's
45.7 percent, with 1 percent of
ballots remaining to be counted.
More than 4 percent of voters
cast ballots marked "against all,"
a signal of the widespread disaf-
fection among voters.
Yanukovych has claimed vic-
tory and his team kicked off fes-
tivities by calling on the prime
minister to admit defeat.
Russia-friendly candidate
apparent Ukraine winner
ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/AP
Supporters of Ukrainian opposition leader and presidential candi-
date Viktor Yanukovych wave flags of the Party of Regions during
Monday's massive rally in front of Central Election Commission in
Kiev, Ukraine, to celebrate his apparent victory.
BY MARIANELA JIMENEZ
The Associated Press
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Costa
Ricans have elected their first fe-
male president as the ruling party
candidate won in a landslide after
campaigning to continue free
market policies in Central Amer-
ica's most stable nation.
With most of the votes from
Sunday's election counted, Laura
Chinchilla, 50, held a 22-point
lead over her closest rival. Her 47
percent share of the vote was well
beyond the 40 percent needed to
avoid a run-off.
Theprotegeofthecurrentpres-
ident, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Oscar Arias, promised to pursue
the same economic policies that
recently brought the country into
a trade pact with the U.S. and
opened commerce with China.
"Today we are making history,"
said Chinchilla, who will be the
fifth Latin American woman to
serve as president when she takes
office in May. "The Costa Rican
people have given me their confi-
dence, and I will not betray it."
The closest contender, Otton
Solis of the Citizens Action Party,
got 25 percent of the votes. He
and the other main rival, Lib-
ertarian Otto Guevara, quickly
conceded defeat. It was unclear,
however, whether Chinchilla's
National Liberation Party would
gain a majority in congress.
The third-place candidate,
Guevara, congratulated Chin-
chilla as "our president." But he
also pointed out the political mus-
cle of his tax-bashing Libertarian
Movement Party.
Most Costa Ricans were reluc-
tant to shake up the status quo in
a country with relatively high sal-
aries, the longest life expectancy
in Latin America, a thriving eco-
tourism industry and near-uni-
versal literacy.
ESTEBAN FELIX/AP
Laura Chinchilla, presidential
candidate for the National
Liberation Party, celebrates her
victory Sunday with supporters
in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Costa Rica
elects first
female
president

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