Ukraine campaign comes to an end

Mr Yanukovych said he would not allow foreigners to seize power

The two candidates in Ukraine's bitterly fought presidential election have concluded their campaigns with final appeals to voters.

The re-run of the second round of the election, which was annulled due to massive fraud, takes place on Sunday.

Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said he would stop outsiders seizing power in Ukraine, claiming opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko may not do the same.

Mr Yushchenko said his top priority, if elected, would be uniting the country.

In the first two rounds of voting on 31 October and 21 November, Mr Yanukovych drew support from the east of the country, while Mr Yushchenko won most votes in western and central regions.

UKRAINE ELECTIONS 31 October: First round of voting gives Mr Yushchenko slight lead 22 November: Second round gives Mr Yanukovych lead, but opposition disputes result 3 December: Supreme Court annuls result 24 December: Campaigning ends 26 December: Re-run of second round due Rival camps gear up for poll Q&A: Election crisis Timeline

Mr Yushchenko won the first round by a narrow margin.

When Mr Yanukovych was declared winner of the second round, hundreds of thousands of Yushchenko supporters staged non-stop demonstrations - until the count was declared invalid and a new round of voting was scheduled.

Opinion polls now give Mr Yushchenko a comfortable lead.

"I will win because I already won the first and second rounds. And this time I will win the third round," he told supporters in Kiev.

"Whatever cheating may still occur, it will not affect the political outcome of the election...

"Millions came into the street to defend their choice. I am convinced this will again be the case on 26 December."

Mr Yushchenko said he trusted prosecutors to find his poisoners

Mr Yanukovych, who has accused Mr Yushchenko of benefiting from Western funding, told his supporters that the West had spent huge sums in order to seize power in Ukraine with the help of go-betweens.

"Either we, the Ukrainian people, will be masters in our own land, or else we will carry out someone else's orders," he told a rally in the western city of Chop.

Mr Yushchenko has argued for integration with the European Union and Nato, which Mr Yanukovych opposes on the grounds that it would damage relations with Russia.

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, openly supported Mr Yanukovych in the earlier rounds of voting, but now says he is ready to do business with whoever wins.

About 12,000 international election observers are in Ukraine for the vote.

Numerous amendments to the election law have been made since 21 November, with a view to reducing the opportunities for falsification.

Mr Yushchenko wrapped up his campaign with a half-hour campaign video on television, featuring national and international celebrities.

Pop stars Sting and Joe Cocker called for a fair vote, while Ukrainian boxing champion Vitaly Klitschko was shown knocking out his opponent as he defended his world heavyweight title this month.

Mr Yushchenko was filmed making a speech before dioxin poisoning bloated his face, and saying the words: "I believe in Ukraine."

He has accused the Ukrainian secret services of poisoning him at a dinner on 5 September.

On Friday, he said he trusted Ukrainian investigators to solve the poisoning case, adding that "there is already plenty of proof about how this poison got into Ukraine and how it got into the food".

Campaigning officially finished at midnight (2200 GMT) on Friday.