Elections too close to call

Latest O.P. has PoR at 28,5%, BYuT at 20,3%, NU-NS 11,6%, and Communist Party of Ukraine 5,3%.

The tendency to vote for PoR and, especially, for the Communists grows with an increase in the age of respondents and with a decrease in their 'level of education'. BYuT is more popular with young people and women.

Such voting patterns would resulting a VR comprising PoR 195 mandates, BYuT 139, NU-NS 80, KPU 36; i.e. a PoR/KPU majority of 12. So bearing in mind the margins for error, the result is too close to call right now.

According to this poll, Volodymyr's Lytvyn's People's bloc, who received 2.44% of votes in March 2006, could conceivably scrape past the 3% barrier too, and it would be he who wields the balance of power.

LEvko thinks, realistically, only a grand coalition, or NUNS/PoR combo in the VR would be stable.

ps Tomorrow Azarov and Kolesnikov are having a meeting in Moscow with the leaders of the pro-Putin 'Yedinaya Rossiya' party. A little tip boys - nothing by mouth..no point taking chances..[only a joke..only a joke..]