KIEV, Feb. 14 – Viktor Yanukovych on Sunday was certified as the winner of Ukraine’s recent presidential election after the Central Election Commission rejected allegations of fraud submitted by his defeated rival, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

The announcement triggers a 30-day countdown during which Yanukovych will have to be sworn in for a five-year term as Ukraine’s fourth president. He replaces outgoing President Viktor Yushchenko.

Tymoshenko, however, refused to concede defeat. She pledged to work through courts to prove that the election was stolen by Yanukovych, although most international observers ruled the February 7 vote was free and fair.

Returns certified by the Central Election Commission gave Yanukovych a margin of 887,909 votes, or about 3.5% of the total, over Tymoshenko.

Yanukovych collected support from 12.48 million voters, or 48.95% of the total, compared with Tymoshenko’s 11.59 million votes, or 45.47%, according to the commission. At least 4.36% voted against both candidates, a legal option in Ukraine.

“I think the inauguration will take place in the last week of February,” Oleksandr Lavrynovych, deputy speaker of Parliament and a Yanukovych representative at the Central Election Commission.

Tymoshenko’s legal challenge may somewhat delay the inauguration, but will do little to change the result of the vote, he said.

“This absolutely has no chance,” Lavrynovych said of the Tymoshenko challenge. “Since there is essentially no subject for the dispute, there are some small complaints that will not take too much time, we will quickly get the ruling by the court.”

Tymoshenko, in her address to the nation on Saturday, said that Yanukovych campaign had managed to falsify more than one million votes, and said she will try legally to cancel those votes.

“These votes will be quite enough for our joint victory,” Tymoshenko said in the address. “Having all the proof, I have approved the only acceptable decision – disputing the election results in courts. Based on legal arguments, I will be defending our country, our choice.”

International monitors last week commended Ukraine on what they called an exemplary election, and Yanukovych has been congratulated by a number of foreign leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, even Tymoshenko doesn’t believe her appeal will be successful.

“I know very well, like you do, the quality of work of our judges,” Tymoshenko said. “But at the same time my responsibility before you, before the country obliges me to fight for justice.”

“My responsibility to you and the country obliges me to fight for justice," she said. "Not going to court means giving up Ukraine to criminals without a fight.”

“I want to state clearly: Yanukovych is not our president,” Tymoshenko said. “And no matter how circumstances develop, he will never become legally elected President of Ukraine.” (tl/ez)