Ukraine presidential hopefuls line up

Nine politicians including President Leonid Kuchma have been officially registered as candidates in Ukraine_s presidential election due on Oct. 31, the Central Electoral Commission said on Monday. Spokeswoman Zoya Sharykova said the list of aspirants closed on Sunday. Probably Kuchma, who is seen as a moderate reformer, and three leftist candidates have the best chances. The leftists are radical Natalya Vitrenko, Communist leader Petro Symonenko and Socialist leader Olexander Moroz. Other candidates are parliamentary Speaker Olexander Tkachenko, Yevhen Marchuk, a former prime minister, Hennady Udovenko and Yuri Kostenko who head two splinter groups of the nationalist Rukh Party, and little-known Cherkassy mayor Volodymyr Oliynyk. The candidates had to present at least one million signatures from supporters from not less than two-thirds of the voting districts which were verified by the electoral commission.