KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Reformers secured a slim victory over the Communist Party in Ukraine's stormy parliamentary elections Monday, highlighting deep divisions over the country's direction more than a decade after its independence from the Soviet Union.
Voters tired of Ukraine's status quo hailed the win by the party of pro-Western ex-Premier Viktor Yushchenko, a suave banker credited with producing the country's first economic growth during his stint in the government.
International observers said the campaign clearly favored federal and local authorities, and reports of voting violations were rampant.
The race tested President Leonid Kuchma's popularity after eight years ruling this Texas-sized nation of 49 million. The campaign of the pro-Kuchma party For United Ukraine, created just a few months ago, was seen as a rehearsal for him or a hand-picked successor in 2004 presidential elections.
With nearly 80 percent of the vote counted by Monday evening, Yushchenko's Our Ukraine had just under 23 percent, the Communist Party had 20 percent, and For United Ukraine had about 13 percent, according to the election commission.
The opposition Socialist Party of ex-parliament speaker Oleksandr Moroz had nearly 7 percent, slightly more than the fiercely anti-Kuchma party of ex-deputy premier Julia Tymoshenko.
Percentages won by the parties account for only half of the 450 seats in the Verkhovna Rada. The other 225 legislators are elected directly in local races, where candidates from the pro-presidential party dominated.
Monday's results indicated Yushchenko and the pro-presidential party could have about 110 seats each, with the Communists at about 65. That would leave no one with a clear majority, meaning much would depend on what alliances are formed.
Kuchma praised the election results and insisted the vote was conducted democratically. ``Ukraine's choice ... comes down to simple values clear to everyone: independence, stability, prosperity,'' he said in a statement Monday.
Yushchenko questioned the official results and accused the authorities of ``cynical behavior.''
The State Department said the government could have done more to ensure a level playing field for all political parties.
``We're particularly disappointed that officials did not take steps to curb the widespread and open abuse of authority, including the use of government positions and facilities, to the unfair advantage of certain parties,'' State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said.
Andreas Gross, vice president of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, criticized authorities for pressuring election workers. He told The Associated Press that could have affected the outcome, though it was unclear by how much.
Election Commission chairman Mykhailo Riabets said there were minor voting irregularities that he insisted would not affect the overall results.
The Communists dominated the outgoing parliament and blocked many reforms. Their leader Petro Symonenko came in second in 1999 presidential elections, but their popularity has been eroding.
Yushchenko is strongly in favor of change. His popularity stems from his success in invigorating Ukraine's moribund economy as prime minister, and injecting optimism into a populace defeated by years of inflation and wage delays.
A brainy and brawny ex-banker, Yushchenko has good relations with the West but insists that pleasing Ukrainians is his top priority. He says Ukraine should rely less on foreign aid, such as the $2 billion it received from the U.S. government over the past decade.
Kuchma, meanwhile, has been accused of silencing opponents, profiting from illegal arms sales and rampant corruption - charges he strongly denies.
Reflecting a deep disillusionment with post-Soviet politics, more than 1 million voters cast ballots marked ``against everyone.''