Outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Wednesday that the United States can not accept the results of Ukrainian election as legitimate and called for a full review of the tallying of the election result.

"We cannot accept this result as legitimate because it does not meet international standards and because there has not been an investigation of the numerous and credible reports of fraud and abuse," Powell said at a briefing at the State Department.

"We have been following developments very closely and are deeply disturbed by the extensive and credible reports of fraud in the election. We call for a full review of the conduct of the election and the tallying of the election results," Powell said.

Powell said the United States deeply regretted that the Ukrainian authorities did not take the opportunity of election to demonstrate "their commitment to democracy and to be a model for the region and the world."

Powell's comments came after Ukraine's Central Election Commission on Wednesday declared incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich the winner of the presidential election.

Commission head Serhiy Kivalov said that Yanukovich has won 49.46 percent of the vote and the opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko gained 46.61 percent.

The White House said on Tuesday that the United States was "deeply disturbed" by alleged accusations of fraud in Ukraine's presidential election.

"The United States is deeply disturbed by extensive and credible indications of fraud committed in the Ukrainian presidential election," the White House said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We strongly support efforts to review the conduct of the elections and urge Ukrainian authorities not to certify results until investigations of organized fraud are resolved," the White House said.

US officials have called on the Ukrainian side to take quick action to address allegations of widespread fraud in the disputed weekend presidential election.

Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko has claimed that he was denied victory in the presidential poll by fraud and declared himself president on Tuesday during an emergency parliament session attended by his supporters.

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2004)