KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine's parliamentary elections produced no clear winner Monday, as reformers edged out Communists but did not secure a clear majority.
Despite allegations of government interference and vote-rigging, observers cautiously predicted that the new legislature would be markedly more reform-minded than any of its predecessors.
With nearly all of the 24 million ballots counted, the reformist Our Ukraine party, led by popular former Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko, had 23% of the vote; the Communist Party had 20%; and the pro-president For United Ukraine had about 12%. But percentages won by the parties account for just half of the seats in the 450-member parliament. The other 225 are decided in local elections for individuals.
However, it was clear that for the first time since Ukraine became independent a decade ago, the Communists would not form the largest faction in parliament.
The Communists and For United Ukraine are allied with President Leonid D. Kuchma, an unpopular leader who is mired in scandals and internationally isolated. But the other four top vote-getters are parties that oppose Kuchma either openly or surreptitiously.
"This parliament will contain more people who were [Kuchma's] victims than ever before," opined the Internet publication Ukrainian Truth.
Kuchma unexpectedly left the capital, Kiev, on Monday for a weeklong visit to the Crimea. Although he praised Sunday's election as "extremely democratic," he had no comment on its result.
International observers' reactions to the election were mixed. In a report Monday, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe lauded a more democratic new election law, the active role of nongovernmental organizations in monitoring the campaign and balloting, and the wide spectrum of political choices. But it accused the government of interfering in the campaign, and it criticized the media's excessive partisanship in favor of For United Ukraine.
The elections were marred by "a general atmosphere of distrust, both among voters and among candidates," the OSCE reported. However, no organization has said that the final results might be declared invalid.
In Washington, the State Department said the Ukrainian government could have done more to ensure a level playing field for all political parties.
