Following election impasse, Annan urges all sides in Ukraine to exercise restraint

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today voiced his concern about developments in Ukraine, where a tense situation has emerged following the run-off Presidential election.

"While the United Nations is not in a position to comment on the conduct of the election, the Secretary-General believes a credible electoral process is critical to overcoming the current impasse," his spokesman, Fred Eckhard, told reporters at the daily news briefing in New York.

The spokesman said Mr. Annan called on all sides to exercise "maximum restraint and to adhere to democratic principles, vital for the consolidation of democracy in Ukraine and the unity of the nation."