European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on February 4 2010 that she was "following closely" developments in the run-up to the second round of the country’s presidential elections.
 
In the February 7 vote, Viktor Yanukovych and prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko will face off in a contest that is being keenly contested – and has been hit by a row about ballot counting rules.
 
Ashton said that she welcomed the commitment to the democratic process demonstrated by the Ukrainian people in the first round of elections, which were held on January 17.
 
"I call on all candidates to ensure that the will of the people can once more be expressed at the polls this Sunday . In the meantime I fully support the work of the election observers on the ground and of the International Election Observation Mission led by Ambassador Tagliavini," Ashton said.
 
Tymoshenko has spoken out strongly against a new law scrapping the requirement for a quorum of observers from both sides to approve counts at each polling station in the second-round vote.
 
The legislation was initiated and pushed through parliament on February 3 by the party of pro-Moscow candidate Yanukovych, Radio Free Europe said.
 
Tymoshenko has called for a second Orange Revolution if Yanukovych rigs the runoff.
 
On February 1, Tymoshenko stood alone in a national television studio after Yanukovych announced that he would not take part in a televised debate.
 
The Voice of America said that the first round of the election had been found by about 3000 foreign election observers to have "despite a few irregularities" met international standards for honesty.