Ukraine poll campaign draws to close

Opposition leader Yushchenko says there have been electoral irregularities

By Steven Eke BBC Eurasia analyst

Just two days remain until Ukrainians go to the polls after a long and murky election campaign.

The vote is seen as a key test of President Leonid Kuchma's popularity

The election will decide whether Ukraine will have a parliament compliant to the wishes of President Leonid Kuchma, or one that will pick a fight.

President Kuchma says the vote will be an indication of "how democratic" his country has become.

But there are warnings from election watchdogs that the vote may fall short of democratic standards.

Western favourite

The campaign has been fought by a number of electoral blocs, which bring together more than 30 political parties and alliances.

The main bloc supporting President Kuchma - called For a United Ukraine - has based its campaign on claiming the credit for Ukraine's recent economic growth.

The main bloc opposing President Kuchma - called Our Ukraine - is headed by the former Prime Minster, Viktor Yushchenko.

Popular at home and in the West, he is seen as a reformer, and opinion polls suggest that his movement will attract the largest number of votes.

The other major force is Ukraine's Communist Party, which remains popular with older voters in particular.

Presidential taster

Ukraine faces a presidential election in two years time.

And the current parliamentary vote is seen as an indication of just how free and fair - or not - those elections will be.

Current signs aren't promising.

The Ukrainian state media have given more airtime to candidates supporting President Kuchma than those opposing him.

Non-governmental organisations say employees in state institutions have been pressurised to vote for parties supportive of President Kuchma.

And irregularities have been reported with the electoral register, including thousands of entries for people who are actually dead.