KIEV, Nov. 12 – Ukraine’s three opposition groups on Monday vowed to continue organized protests until the authorities investigate alleged election manipulation that they say resulted in stolen victories for candidates in a number of constituencies.

Batkivshchyna, Udar and Svoboda parties said their protests will personally target President Viktor Yanukovych, his government and the ruling Regions Party in Parliament.

“The society has put responsibility for the violations of political rights and freedoms of Ukrainians personally on President Yanukovych,” the parties said in a joint statement. “The declared election results do not reflect the real will of Ukrainians neither in party-list vote nor in individual constituencies.”

The statement comes as a sign the three parties will continue mounting a massive pressure on the government in Parliament, potentially making it more difficult for the ruling coalition to approve legislation.

The developments come days after the Central Election Commission had finally declared results of the October 28 elections in which Yanukovych’s Regions Party had failed to win majority, dashing its original plans.

The Regions Party will control 185 seats in the 450-seat Parliament, while the three opposition groups will have a total of 178 seats, according to the CEC.

The Regions Party will have to rely on the Communist Party and dozens of independent lawmakers to form the new pro-government majority, but such coalition is not likely to be strong.

The determination of the three opposition groups to continue the protests, which may include street rallies and even blocking operation of Parliament, spells out trouble for Yanukovych and his government and may be forced to delay crucial legislation.

The CEC named 445 lawmakers that will take seats in the new Parliament, while five more seats will be decided at new elections in majority districts.

Opposition groups said their candidates had been clearly leading in the polls until the alleged manipulations, such as massive ballot cancellations, had greatly reduced their results.

Arseniy Yatseniuk, who led Batkivshchyna for the elections, said that the Regions Party has stolen at least seven seats in Parliament from opposition.

“They did it on purpose to reduce the opposition’s results,” Yatseniuk said. “They are even afraid to have a equal result with us [185 seats vs. 185 seats]. That’s why they have stolen seven seats.”

Parliament needs to have at least 300 registered lawmakers in order to capable.

“The organizers of the election manipulations must have criminal responsibility… as well as those members of the election commissions that had rigged the electoral documentation and distorted the will of the people,” the parties said.

“We reserve the right to hold adequate actions and all constitutional methods and means of parliamentary and out-of-parliament struggle,” the parties said. This may even include “early termination of the authority of Parliament and calling new parliamentary and presidential elections.” (tl/ez)