Ukraine's Viktor Yanukovich will remain the winner of yesterday's presidential election, a Central Election Commission official has said.
He said the full picture of voting still had to come in from Yanukovich's strongholds in Crimea and the eastern city of Luhansk.
The latest official result, with 98% of the vote counted, showed Yanukovich leading Tymoshenko by three percentage points.
Earlier, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko refused to concede.
Ms Tymoshenko's camp, alleging fraud, offered a 'parallel count' late yesterday that saw her edging out her rival.
The slim margin in the official results made it appear likely that Ms Tymoshenko would mount a legal challenge.
But the official results appeared to signal a remarkable comeback for Mr Yanukovich.
A Yanukovich victory could see the country of 46m people shift back towards Russia after five years of infighting and a sliding economy turned the euphoria of the Orange revolution into frustration and disappointment.
Both candidates pledged integration with Europe while improving ties with Moscow, but Prime Minister Tymoshenko is seen as more pro-Western.
Mr Yanukovich is unlikely to pursue membership of NATO, an 'Orange' goal that infuriated neighbouring Russia.
