“We will clear the debris of misunderstanding and old problems that emerged during the years of the Orange power” declared today Viktor Yanukovich, the pro-Russia candidate, winner of Ukraine's presidential election, with a margin of 2.79 percentage point advantage over former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Sunday’s Presidential elections signalled a remarkable comeback of Yanukovich, seen as a pro-Russia candidate by Occidental observers, five years after the “Orange Revolution”. He will be officially named the winner by the Central Election Commission, on 19 March. Nevertheless the parliamentary faction of Yulia Tymoshenko said it would challenge the result in court: S.Sobolev, member of the Tymoshenko bloc, said that the vote “displayed a cynical violation of Ukrainian law”.

Though the critical opposition opinion, international observers recognized that the election was conducted properly. João Soares, OSCE observers special co-ordinator said, "[Sunday's] vote was an impressive display of democratic elections. For everyone in Ukraine, this election was a victory." EU foreign relations chief C.Ashton also emphasised “the open campaign in the media and the fact that the electorate were provided with a genuine choice represent important achievements in Ukraine's democratic development”.

If Yanukovich secures victory, he would have to face a lot of difficulties. The first one will be the nomination of the Prime Minister, after Tymoshenko defeat. It will open a five-year term for Viktor Yanukovich who declared “I will unite Ukraine, bring order to our government and provide every Ukrainian with an opportunity to live a decent life and work in a stable country respected by our neighbours and by all countries worldwide!”.

Last week, Ukraine released Belarusian opposition activist and musician Igor Koktysh, who has been held in a pre-trial detention centre for two and a half years.

Igor Koktysh had been imprisoned in Ukraine since June 2007 when Belarus requested his extradition over an allegation of “premeditated, aggravated murder" of a close friend's relative in January 2001, under Article 139 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, which carries the death penalty.

Human Rights organisation believed that he was charged by the Belarusian authorities because of his social and political activism.

Igor Koktysh's release follows a European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) deciding in his favour on 10 December 2009. He had filed a complaint with the Court in October 2007.

The Court said that there was no legal basis to arrest him asking Ukraine to release him immediately and also declared that the conditions in which he was kept in Ukraine amounted to inhuman and degrading treatment.

Igor Koktysh told Amnesty International that “during his detention in Belarus the head investigator of Brest district told him that he knew he was not guilty of the crime, but that he was under pressure from his superiors. The investigator refused to repeat these words in court”.

Igor Koktysh is currently applying for refugee status in Ukraine.