By ALEKSANDAR VASOVIC, Associated Press Writer
KIEV, Ukraine - Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych resigned Friday, making a grudging admission that he had little hope of reversing the presidential election victory of his Western-leaning rival.
Yanukovych announced his decision in a televised New Year's Eve address, saying he would push ahead with his appeal to the Supreme Court against the election results that showed pro-Western reformer Viktor Yushchenko as the winner — though he admitted it was likely futile.
"We are still fighting, but I don't have much hope," Yanukovych said.
Yanukovych has seen much of his support fall away, losing the backing of outgoing President Leonid Kuchma and watching as many of his top advisers deserted him. This week, he returned to work as prime minister, but the opposition blockaded his government headquarters, refusing to let him convene a Cabinet session. The meeting went ahead in another building without him.
On Thursday, election officials rejected his complaints of fraud, upholding Yushchenko's victory.
The rest of this article is here:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...raine_election
Yanukovych Resigns Post As Ukraine PM
Threaded Mode