Ukraine's Tymoshenko appeals to court over poll

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko urged a court on Friday to look carefully at a February 7 election she says was rigged, as she launched an appeal to block the inauguration of President-elect Viktor Yanukovich.

"A new president will have legitimacy only when all the evidence which has put it in doubt has been studied," Tymoshenko told Kiev's Higher Administrative Court.

Yanukovich, 59, is due to be sworn into office on February 25 after beating Tymoshenko by 3.5 percent in this month's runoff.

But the 49-year-old premier says she was robbed of victory by cheating and is pressing for a fresh presidential vote, as happened in the 2004 "Orange Revolution" which ended with President Viktor Yushchenko being elected.

Yanukovich, who was denied the top job by the 2004 wave of protests against electoral fraud, and his Regions Party have denied any wrongdoing in the February 7 runoff.

Tymoshenko is also trying to get declared illegal the official declaration that Yanukovich was elected.

Few commentators expect her to win and most believe the court will throw out the appeal in time for Yanukovich's inauguration to go ahead next Thursday.

Tymoshenko, wearing a black dress with her hair plaited in its trademark peasant braid, sat next to Leonid Kravchuk, a former president, in the courtroom. Others supporting her in court included former foreign minister Borys Tarasiuk.

"I am sure that an honest review of all the circumstances ... is required not only by me as a presidential candidate. I am sure that it is also required by the candidate who considers himself president," she told the court.

The Tymoshenko side has presented the court with nine volumes of evidence which it says supports allegations of fraud in about 1,200 polling stations around the country of 46 million. The hearing could last two to five days.

"LOST CAUSE"

The court said that while it was reviewing her accusations the official results of the election were suspended.

Analysts say Tymoshenko's refusal to concede to Yanukovich, whose victory has been recognised by Russia and the West, may be aimed at weakening him as much as possible before he takes office and may not be based on serious hopes of a court victory.

Clearing the way for Yanukovich's inauguration, parliament voted on Friday to relieve him of his post as a Regions Party deputy -- a necessary move since the president cannot be directly associated with a political party.

Regions Party deputy Vladislav Lukyanov said Tymoshenko's case was a lost cause.

"If the court does not artificially drag things out, it could be all over today or tomorrow," he told journalists. "The inauguration is not in any danger. I personally have already bought my smoking jacket."

Although the court case is not expected to delay the inauguration, Ukraine faces an uncertain few weeks, if not months, as a new political order takes shape.

Yanukovich's supporters in parliament are trying to win over parties to form a new coalition and if they succeed, a vote of no confidence in Tymoshenko's government is expected.

Investors hope this horsetrading will end within weeks with a stable government capable of bringing back International Monetary Fund lending -- suspended, while the economy suffered its worst recession in 15 years, over broken spending promises.

(Writing by Richard Balmforth; editing by Andrew Roche)