Ukraine PM drops legal challenge to election defeat [Article]

From the Associated Press:

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Saturday dropped her legal challenge to her rival’s presidential election victory, saying she had lost faith in the country’s courts.

Her dramatic backdown after a pledge just the day before to fight till the end was the latest twist in Tymoshenko’s tortuous struggle to hold on to power and sent rivals and observers guessing what her next move will be.

“It has become obvious that it is not a court and it is not justice,” said the flamboyant premier, wearing a grey dress, her trademark golden braid wrapped around her head.

“We are withdrawing our suit,” Tymoshenko told the court as it reconvened to hear her case.

The premier had called for the court proceedings to be televised, a request the authorities denied.

On Friday she wore a funereal black dress in the court as she appealed for justice in an emotional hour-long speech.

Judges withdrew Saturday to deliberate following her suit withdrawal, but after some two hours waiting for a decision Tymoshenko left the courtroom.

Andriy Kozhemyakin, a top official with Tymoshenko’s party, said the party would soon convene to decide on her next move but said she was unlikely to turn to the courts again.

In parliament, Yanukovych’s party has launched an official motion to throw out Tymoshenko and her government.

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