Repeated elections best outcome to political crisis in Ukraine-EU

The European Union believes repeated presidential elections would be the best way to overcome the political crisis in Ukraine, Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot said on Saturday. Bot, whose country holds the rotating EU president, told journalists, “We think the best, the ideal outcome would be elections. If we are heading for elections, it should happen rather soon, before the end of the year.” Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko demanded repeated presidential elections be held on December 12 after the official count handed victory to Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich. The EU described the elections as falling far short of international democratic standards. Ukraine's parliament said on Saturday the poll was invalid. With massive demonstrations, mainly by Yushchenko supporters, paralysing life in Kiev, talks on Friday between the two contenders and Russian and EU mediators produced little more than an agreement to set up a group to pursue discussions. Bot said the EU role as mediator in Ukraine did not prevent it from having an opinion. Ukraine shares a border with three EU member states -- Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.