Ukraine's beleaguered president, Viktor Yushchenko, yesterday faced a constitutional crisis when MPs said they would refuse to obey any order from him after tangled coalition talks collapsed, giving him the legal right to dissolve parliament. ... The crisis came after Mr Yushchenko, elected president on a wave of pro-western sentiment after the "Orange revolution" in November 2004, refused to accept parliament's nomination of his rival, Viktor Yanukovich, as prime minister. Mr Yushchenko made no comment on the nomination, and as the deadline passed at midnight on Monday, gained the legal right to dissolve parliament and call elections. Most analysts think the Orange revolution's leader, whose popularity has collapsed after months of feckless government, is stalling and will eventually accept Mr Yanukovich as prime minister.
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The crisis came after Mr Yushchenko, elected president on a wave of pro-western sentiment after the "Orange revolution" in November 2004, refused to accept parliament's nomination of his rival, Viktor Yanukovich, as prime minister.
Mr Yushchenko made no comment on the nomination, and as the deadline passed at midnight on Monday, gained the legal right to dissolve parliament and call elections. Most analysts think the Orange revolution's leader, whose popularity has collapsed after months of feckless government, is stalling and will eventually accept Mr Yanukovich as prime minister.
Pro-Western Our Ukraine sets terms for joining Rada coalition
KIEV, July 26 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's long-running political drama took its latest twist Wednesday with an announcement from the pro-presidential Our Ukraine bloc that it was ready to work within a new parliamentary coalition majority if other factions accepted its terms. "We are ready for cooperation on condition the country continues its domestic and foreign policy line," he said. Zvarych said Ukraine should continue working to join the World Trade Organization by the end of 2006 and the European Union, as well as maintain close ties with NATO and eventually join the alliance. Viktor Yushchenko has made these priorities since he won the presidency following the 2004 "orange revolution." The pro-presidential faction had previously demanded the disbandment of the "anti-crisis" coalition of the Party of Regions, the Socialist Party and the Communist Party, which holds 240 seats in the 450-seat Supreme Rada, and a ban on the Communists from joining a would-be alliance.
"We are ready for cooperation on condition the country continues its domestic and foreign policy line," he said.
Zvarych said Ukraine should continue working to join the World Trade Organization by the end of 2006 and the European Union, as well as maintain close ties with NATO and eventually join the alliance. Viktor Yushchenko has made these priorities since he won the presidency following the 2004 "orange revolution."
The pro-presidential faction had previously demanded the disbandment of the "anti-crisis" coalition of the Party of Regions, the Socialist Party and the Communist Party, which holds 240 seats in the 450-seat Supreme Rada, and a ban on the Communists from joining a would-be alliance.
