Kiev, Ukraine, Dec 27, SPA -- Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko celebrated his apparently decisive triumph in Ukraine'sprotracted presidential contest Monday, thanking protesterswho spent weeks camped out in the capital's frigid streetsfor securing his electoral victory and the nation'sfreedom. "Now, today, the Ukrainian people have won. Icongratulate you," he told a jubilant crowd in Kiev'sIndependence Square, the center of massive protestsfollowing the Nov. 21 presidential runoff that was annulledafter fraud allegations. "We have been independent for 14 years but we were notfree," Yushchenko said. "Now we can say this is a thingof the past. Now we are facing an independent and freeUkraine." Three separate exit polls gave him a 15 to 20 percentagepoint lead over Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. But the vote count gave Yushchenko a narrower lead: Withballots from over 97 percent of precincts counted by 11a.m. (0900 GMT), Yushchenko was leading with 52.44 percentcompared to Yanukovych's 43.77 percent. Results were trickling in slowly from two regions inpro-Yanukovych territory in eastern Ukraine. CentralElection Commission chairman Yaroslav Davydovych appealedto election workers to do their jobs. "Put political issues aside. The state is waiting forresults," he said.--SPA1247 Local Time 0947 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/227900