Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Saturday dropped her legal case challenging the election of President-elect Viktor Yanukovich,saying the court could not be trusted to bring in a fair verdict. Tymoshenko,repeating that she did not recognise Yanukovich as legitimately elected,said she was withdrawing her legal case against his election because the court had refused to study the evidence of fraudulence which she had placed before it. Under these circumstances,we simply do not see the reason for continuing with this case being considered. We are withdrawing our suit, she told Ukraines Higher Administrative Court. The charismatic 49-year-old Tymoshenko launched her challenge against the election of Yanukovich who beat her in a February 7 runoff,alleging widespread fraud by the rival camp. Yanukovich,59,who is due to be sworn into office on February 25,has denied any vote-rigging by his side. He beat Tymoshenko by a narrow 3.5 percentage points. Tymoshenko,who had said she was robbed of victory by electoral fraud,had been pressing for a new election as in the 2004 Orange Revolution which ended with President Viktor Yushchenko being elected.
