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Ukraine’s Regions Party may set up parliamentary majority on its own

As regards the preliminary data on voting in single-mandate precincts, the Regions Party is likely to get 117 parliamentary mandates

KIEV, October 30 (Itar-Tass) – Ukraine’s Regions Party, which is emerging victorious from the parliamentary election held last Sunday, may turn out able to set up the parliamentary majority on its own, suggest the results published by the Central Electoral Commission upon the processing of 82.62% protocols on voting for party tickets.

The Regions Party remains in the lead with 32.17% votes, while the main oppositionist force, the Batkivshchina /Fatherland/ party is getting 23.92%.

Standing next in line are the Communist Party of Ukraine, the UDAR Party led by boxing champion Vitaly Klichko and the Svoboda /Freedom/ party with 14.03%, 13.39% and 9.48% respectively.

As regards the preliminary data on voting in single-mandate precincts, the Regions Party is likely to get 117 parliamentary mandates, and at least 44 self-nominated candidates that have won the election may join its ranks in the Verkhovna Rada, the national parliament.

On the face of it, Bativshchina is getting 40 mandates, Svoboda – eleven mandates, and UDAR – five mandates. A number of smaller parties are getting from one to three mandates.

Simple arithmetic shows that the pro-government majority, which may embrace the Communists at a certain stage, will consist of no less than 250 deputies and this figure is much bigger than the simple majority of 226 deputies.

Sunday’s election was held under a mixed system, with 225 MPs elected on party tickets and another 225 MPs, in single-mandate precincts.

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