Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Mykhalchenko said that all of the presidential candidates had nearly equal chances to win through to the second round of the presidential elections. According to a survey conducted by the Ukrainian Sociological Service on June 20-29, the list of leading presidential candidates is still headed by Regions Party leader Viktor Yanukovych, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, and Head of the Front for Change Initiative Arseniy Yatseniuk.

Director General of the Ukrainian Sociological Service Mykola Mykhalchenko presented the results of the poll at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Friday. A total of 2,500 respondents from all Ukrainian regions, Crimea and Kyiv participated in the study. The poll's margin of error is 2.5%.

If the presidential elections were held soon, Yanukovych would win 21.6% of the vote. Some 15.9% of those polled said they would support Tymoshenko, and 11.5% Yatseniuk. Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn would win the support of 5.8% of voters, and 5.1% would vote for incumbent President Viktor Yuschenko.

Mykhalchenko said that all of the presidential candidates had nearly equal chances to win through to the second round of the presidential elections.

The ratings of political parties practically correspond to the ratings of their leaders. According to the poll, if parliamentary elections were held soon, the Regions Party would win 22% of the vote, the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko 15.8%, and the Front for Change 10.2%.