KIEV, March 27 (Interfax-Ukraine).- Ukrainian voters have had ample opportunity to express their will freely in their country's parliamentary elections, a mission of international observers said.

The election campaign proceeded in compliance with Ukraine's commitments to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe and other international democratic election standards, the mission said in a release circulated on Monday.

The unrestricted registration of candidates and an active media environment guaranteed genuine competitiveness and equality for all candidates, which allowed voters to make a serious choice between the alternatives and express their will honestly and freely, the release says.

The mission is comprised of representatives of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the OSCE's Parliamentary Assembly, the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of Europe and NATO, and the European parliament.

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Last minute election results in Ukraine:

The TsVK says it has counted nearly one-third of the votes.

An updated tally on its website says the pro-Russia party of former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych is leading with 26.7 percent. Yanukovych's Party of Regions is followed by the bloc led by another former prime minister, Yuliya Tymoshenko (23.6 percent); then Our Ukraine (16.4 percent); and the Socialist Party (7.2 percent).

Tymoshenko said on March 26 that a coalition agreement between her bloc, the Socialists, and Yushchenko's party is all but certain.

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