Anger at Ukraine poll 'exclusion'

By Helen Fawkes
BBC News, Kiev

A pro-Tymoshenko rally was held outside the electoral commission

Ukraine's opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko says her candidates have been barred from taking part in elections due to be held next month.

The country's electoral body has refused to register Mrs Tymoshenko's bloc for the parliamentary ballot.

The fresh poll was ordered to try to end confrontation between supporters of the president and prime minister.

President Viktor Yushchenko is seen as pro-Western, but Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych is more pro-Russian.

Court challenge

Yulia Tymoshenko was one of the leaders of Ukraine's Orange Revolution in 2004 and remains a very popular politician.

Mrs Tymoshenko said her candidates had been excluded from running in the ballot for not providing their full addresses on the registration forms.

She vowed to challenge the ruling in court and described the election commission as puppets of the prime minister.

This has been denied by the prime minister's party.

Ukraine's early election was called following an escalating power struggle between the president and the prime minister.

It is expected to result in a coalition government.

This could lead to Yulia Tymoshenko reuniting with the president, her former ally from the Orange Revolution.

If that happens, Mrs Tymoshenko is likely to become prime minister.