MOSCOW, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Russian sociologists have refused to conduct exit polls as planned for Sunday's Ukrainian presidential election, Interfax news agency reported.
The four groups of Russian sociologists who were planning to conduct exit polls at Ukrainian polling stations have refused to provide the results of the polls so as not to create a provocation, Sergei Markov, the head of the Institute for Political Research, said during a meeting of the information center Presidential Elections in Ukraine according to the Interfax report.
"This is being done to prevent the situation form reaching a critical point after which civil clashes would be possible," Markov said
The campaign of pro-American presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko has alleged massive vote fraud and other irregularities on behalf of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the candidate supported by incumbent President Leonid Kuchma and also backed by Russia.
