EU calls on Ukraine to publish final election results

(BRUSSELS) - The European Union's top diplomat Catherine Ashton called Saturday on Ukraine to quickly release final results of last weekend's parliamentary elections, a poll in which President Viktor Yanukovych's party emerged on top but which observers criticised as flawed.

In a statement published jointly with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule, Ashton noted "with increasing concern that five days after the closure of the ballot, the consolidated results have still not been announced."

The two officials called on "authorities and all parties involved to take the necessary steps to finalise the tabulation allowing for the rapid announcement of the final results, which should reflect the genuine will of the Ukrainian voters."

"Complaints should be dealt with swiftly and in full respect of rules and established procedures," the statement added.

The EU has been increasingly at odds with Yanukovych, especially over the jailing of former leader Yulia Tymoshenko, whose imprisonment the EU branded as politically motivated.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the elections "a step backwards".

Ukraine still has not announced final results from the poll won by Yanukovych's Regions Party.

Opposition activists have clashed with Regions Party supporters in sometimes violent encounters.

On Friday, the electoral commission was still showing partial results even though ballots have been counted in 99.72 percent of voting stations in regions using a proportional vote to elect 225 of parliament's 450 deputies.

The other half of deputies are elected via a first-past-the-post system. Results in about 10 of those constituencies are still being contested.