Ukraine's former Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko has claimed victory for his reformist Our Ukraine Party in the country's general elections. 

Mr. Yuschenko declared victory Sunday on Ukraine television. Voters in Ukraine cast ballots to pick 450 new members of parliament, or the Verkhovna Rada. 

Voter exit polls indicate the Our Ukraine Party ahead with 25 percent of the vote. Polls put the Communist Party second with 20.5 percent, and the United Ukraine Party of President Leonid Kuchma third with 10.6 percent. 

The polls were conducted by four independent election observer groups that interviewed 18,000 voters at random as they left voting stations throughout the country. 

Observers say the controversial election has been marred by violence and corruption. Thirty-seven million Ukrainians were registered to vote. 

One early report from polling stations said voter turnout was very light. Observers say many voters may have stayed home because of Friday's murder of Mykola Shkriblyak, a candidate for the Social Democratic Party. 

Officials of his party said the shooting was politically motivated. Critics say the murder adds to the list of grievances against President Kuchma's United Ukraine Party. 

Mr. Kuchma has been accused of harassing political opponents. Officials from the United States and European Union have urged him to ensure a free and fair election, saying an unbiased election is crucial to Ukraine's democratic development. 

Preliminary vote count results are due early Monday. 

Some information for this report provided by Reuters.

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