Washington keeps close eye on Ukraine vote

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States will keep a close eye on Ukraine's rerun of its disputed presidential runoff election on Sunday, as Washington silently wishes for a victory of Western-leaning candidate Viktor Yushchenko in the former Soviet republic, analysts say.

The United States has maintained the same position since the November 21 runoff was contested as plagued with fraud, saying it wanted democracy to prevail amid an honest and transparent election.

Pro-Russia Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich had been declared the winner of the vote, which was annulled by the Supreme Court following huge street protests led by the opposition.

The disputed election also drove a wedge between Russia and the West.

"As far as the long-term progress of Ukraine toward the Euro-Atlantic community, obviously having a free and stable democracy is a major step in that direction," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told AFP this week.

Former top US presidential adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski said the success of democracy would affect both Ukraine and Russia.