The anti-democratic forces of Ukraine’s oligarchs and their ex-KGB allies in Mother Russia seem to losing today’s third round of presidential elections. Exit polls show opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko leading the establishment (oligarchy) nominee Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych by 15 to 20 percentage points.

The oligarchs and ex-KGB agents tried everything to steal the elections in the first two rounds, including poisoning Yushchenko and committing all sorts of voting improprieties, but it backfired. After Yanukovych’s first “win,” opposition protests nearly shut down Kiev, parliament dismissed Yanukovych’s government, and the Supreme Court ruled that Yanukovych’s victory was “fraudulent.” Anatoly Yarema, the Supreme Court’s chief justice said, “The court decision is final and cannot be appealed against.”

According to the BBC, Yanukovych may see the writing on the wall already:

However, the candidate once seen as the favourite of the Ukrainian establishment and neighbouring Russia appeared to be preparing for defeat as polls closed.

"If we fail, we will form a strong opposition," he said. Mr Yanukovych, however, has not so far not conceded. …

In a last-minute intervention on Saturday, Ukraine's Constitutional Court overturned curbs on voting from home - one of the electoral changes brought in after the November result was cancelled.

The move restored the right to a ballot of a broad range of people unable to attend a polling station, and was thought to favour Yanukovych supporters.

However, the court's ruling makes it far less likely that Sunday's result can be challenged on constitutional grounds by either side.

Let’s hope Yushchenko wins decisively so Ukraine can join the family of democratic nations (and eventually the EU and NATO). A Yushchenko victory will put one more nail in the coffin of world dictatorial forces. It will send a clear message to Vladimir [Ras]Putin: stay out of your neighbors' internal affairs.