Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

The CEC signed a Hr 13 million contract with the house to print ballots for the second round. Ukraine Printing House will start printing voter ballots onJan. 26for the second round of the presidential election due on February 7, deputy chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Zhanna Usenko-Chorna said.

"We will start printing ballots from tomorrow," she told journalists on Jan. 25.

On Monday the CEC approved the text for the voter ballot. A sample has already been made and will be delivered to the Ukraine Printing House for further ballot printing, she said.

The CEC signed a Hr 13 million contract with the house to print ballots for the second round, she said.

The same paper with security features that was used for the first round will again be used for the second round, Usenko-Chorna added.

Ballot security features will be as reliable as before, only the color and size of the ballot will change, she said.

Usenko-Chorna ruled out any possible disruption of ballot printing over the conflict in the management of the Ukraine Printing House.

It was reported earlier that a raid on the Printing House was made at about 6:00 a.m. on Jan. 25. The Party of Regions claimed that a government representative led the raid.

Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko said that 22 people "who did not enjoy parliamentary immunity" were detained in connection with the incident.