Tens of thousands of Ukrainian demonstrators massed in downtown Kiev for a second night Monday protesting official results that show pro-Moscow candidate Viktor Yanukovych has won the runoff presidential election.
Security forces have been deployed in the city, as supporters of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko vowed to stay in the capital's central square despite freezing temperatures.
The official tally from Sunday's ballot shows Mr. Yanukovych as three points ahead. But Kiev's city council has called on parliament to reject the results, and local officials in the cities of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk also have discounted the official tally.
Results show the candidates split the vote largely along geographic lines, with Mr. Yanukovych taking the Russian-speaking east and and Mr. Yushchenko the Ukrainian-speaking, nationalist west.
Expressing concern the U.S. State Department called on Ukraine to investigate irregularities. The European Union also called for an urgent review.
Some information for this report provided by AP, Reuters and AFP.
