Yanukovych leads presidential race in Ukraine - polls

Viktor Yanukovych, the leader of the opposition Party of Regions, is leading polls in Ukraine ahead of the January 17 presidential elections, according to a survey by the Ukraine Public Opinion Foundation.

Viktor Yanukovych, the leader of the opposition Party of Regions, is leading polls in Ukraine ahead of the January 17 presidential elections, according to a survey by the Ukraine Public Opinion Foundation.

"If the presidential elections had been held on November 29, then Viktor Yanukovych would have received 29.8% of the vote, and [Prime Minister] Yulia Tymoshenko - 14.8% of the vote," the pollster's chief, Alexander Bukhalov, told a news conference on Monday.

Former economics minister, Serhiy Tihipko, is placed third with 5.7% of the vote, followed by former parliamentary speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk with 4.8% of the vote, and incumbent president Viktor Yushchenko with 4.3% of the vote.

Communist leader Petro Symonenko would have received the support of 2.9%, Supreme Rada Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn - 2.5.

A total of 12.7% would choose the "against all" option.

In the runoff, 41% would cast their ballot for Yanukovych and 25.2% for Tymoshenko. A total of 20.7% of voters would choose the "against all" option.

The poll was carried out on November 22-30 and covered 1,000 respondents in 85 populated areas of Ukraine, with a margin of error below 3.2%.

Another survey by the same pollster shows that 40.4% of Ukrainians would like to see politicians seeking stronger ties with both Russia and Europe come to power. A total of 15.7% spoke in favor of pro-Russian foreign policy, while 6.6% of Ukrainians said they supported pro-Western politicians.

KIEV, December 7 (RIA Novosti)