KIEV — Ukrainian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko filed an appeal against the result of the Feb. 7 election, Serhiy Vlasenko, a member of her political party, said Tuesday.
"Tymoshenko wants to take part personally in the court hearing," Vlasenko told reporters in Kiev after the prime minister submitted the appeal to the Higher Administrative Court. The building was surrounded by about a hundred supporters of Viktor Yanukovych, who on Sunday was declared winner of the ballot by the Central Election Commission.
"A fundamental appeal was prepared, with all proofs, with photo, video and audio evidence," Tymoshenko said, according to a statement on the government web site. "We are sure there was systematic and large-scale falsification in the second round."
Tymoshenko has refused to concede defeat to Yanukovych and claimed on Saturday that she had evidence that more than 1 million votes were falsified. International observers reiterated on Monday that the election met democratic standards.
"The court will start the hearing tomorrow and has two days to issue a ruling," Vlasenko said.
Yanukovych has urged Tymoshenko to resign and move into opposition, allowing him to form a new coalition in the parliament and appoint a Cabinet. The United States, the European Union, Russia and NATO have recognized him as president. The parliament on Tuesday decided his inauguration would take place Feb. 25.
Outgoing President Viktor Yushchenko, who was eliminated in the first round, said Tuesday that he met the Higher Administrative Court's head and agreed that all complains would be considered and that the hearing would be in public.
"We are a nation that respects the law and can hold elections democratically," Yushchenko said at a press conference. "But there are some complains and we have to consider them and to draw a line under the elections in a lawful manner."