Ukraine Supreme Court hears final election appeal as UN calls for reforms News
Ukraine Supreme Court hears final election appeal as UN calls for reforms

[JURIST] The Supreme Court of Ukraine [official court website in Ukrainian] Monday began hearing a final appeal by defeated candidate and former prime minister Viktor Yanukovych [campaign website in Ukrainian] against the December 26 election presidential re-vote that favored opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko. Approximately 20 judges will consider the appeal, argued by Yanukovych's team of Ukrainian and Swiss lawyers. The court has already rejected a request to disqualify one of the high court judges from the case on allegations she had been pressured to throw out an earlier appeal. Yanukovych has acknowledged that the court is unlikely to overturn his defeat and describes himself as a "victim of double standards and selective justice." Reuters has more. In a related development, a new UN sponsored report [UN press release and report summary] is urging President-elect Yushchenko to implement broad social and judicial reforms, integrate the country into the WTO, and move closer to the European Union. Review the full text of the UN report. UPI has more.