KIEV, November 27 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Ukraine’s parliament invalidated Saturday, November 27, during an emergency session the results of the country’s controversial presidential elections, a move seen as a symbolic victory for the opposition.

As thousands of orange-clad, boisterous supporters of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko massed outside, the Upper Rada passed a resolution saying results of the November 21 poll, which handed victory to pro-Russia Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, were invalid and non-binding, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The parliament did not suggest a date for holding a new round of the runoff vote, which the opposition wants to be held on December 12.

After three hours of debate, the lawmakers also called for outgoing President Leonid Kuchma to submit for their approval a motion to immediately end the mandate of the 15 members of the central election commission.

“The supreme court wouldn't dare to recognize as valid the results of the presidential election after our vote,” Communist Party chief Oleksandr Moroz said after the parliamentary vote.

Ukraine's opposition has staged massive round the clock rallies for the six days since the vote and demonstrations in support of Yanukovich have picked up in the past couple of days, fanning fears that this nation of 48 million people could break apart.

At a rally in the eastern city of Donetsk, a Yanukovich stronghold, authorities warned that they would seek more autonomy if Yushchenko becomes president.

“If someone tries to ignore our opinion then we will lawfully turn to the option of a referendum to change the (regional) constitution and make our region self-sufficient,” Anatoly Bliznyuk, the governor of the Donetsk region, told the cheering crowd.

The warnings came after several cities in the opposition dominated west declared Yushchenko the elected president and said they would only obey his orders.

Thousands of orange-clad, boisterous supporters of Yushchenko massed outside the parliament building (AFP)

The European Union on Saturday urged Ukraine to hold new presidential elections to end its current electoral crisis, in a new sign of a standoff between the bloc and Moscow.

“The best outcome would be to have new elections,” said Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot, whose country holds the current rotating EU's presidency.

“It would be the ideal outcome. I believe if we are heading for new elections it should happen rather soon, before the end of the year,” he told a press conference.

Bot denied the EU was interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs, but expressed conviction that “the pressure of the outside world and especially of the EU has helped enormously,” towards resolving the crisis in the country.

The crisis in Ukraine has sparked rhetoric between Moscow and Western capitals unheard of since the Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.