Foreign Minister criticises Ukraine's election, Vaclav Havel urges Ukrainian opposition to persevere

The Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda has criticised the ruling of Ukraine's central election committee that proclaimed the current Ukrainian Prime Minister, Viktor Yanuchovych, as the winner of the recent presidential election. Mr Svoboda said the second round of the election did not meet democratic standards, adding that he did not believe the results reflected the genuine will of the Ukrainian people. The former Czech president, Vaclav Havel, urged the Ukrainian opposition to persevere and said they had the support of all credible national and international organizations.