Ukraine headed towards early elections Tuesday as the ruling coalition
collapsed amid wrangling between President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister
Yulia Tymoshenko over whether Russia or the West holds the former Soviet
country's future, dpa reported, referring to Ria-Novosti.
"I officially announce the collapse of the coalition of democratic
forces," Speaker Arseny Yatsenyuk was quoted by Interfax news agency as
saying.
Tymoshenko described the breakup Tuesday as "storm in a teacup" in in
a politcal system that has seen endless stops and starts since the coalition of
the two pro-western reformers swept to power in the 2004 Orange revolution.
"Today's political events were not very pleasant," Tymoshenko was
quoted by Interfax as saying. "But I want to assure you that the
government will operate for a lengthy time and operate successfully."
Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party, which aspires to join NATO and the
European Union, pulled out of the shared coalition with Tymoshenko's bloc at
the beginning of September after she paired with the pro- Russian opposition to
oppose some of the president's policies.
Tymoshenko's bloc joined the Party of Regions, led by Russia- friendly Viktor Yanukovych, to pass legislation curbing the presidential powers in a move
Yushchenko called a "constitutional coup."
This latest feud was accentuated by the run-up to presidential elections in 2010 in which both politicians are prime candidates.
But the fallout between the West and Russia over last month's war in Georgia also drove a wedge between the fragile coalition in a country deeply divided over
its identity.
Tymoshenko has been dubbed a traitor by the president's administration after
she refused to support his moves to punish Russia for its actions in Georgia by imposing restrictions on its Black Sea fleet, based out of the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol.
Tymoshenko's bloc is expected to build a new coalition with the pro-Russian
Regions Party. She would have to resign, but would continue as premier until a
new cabinet is formed within 30 days.
If a new coalition is not formed within that time period, the country will face
new elections.
A newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda quoted sources in the Tymoshenko bloc Tuesday as
saying the premier had ordered preparations for early elections and an alliance
with Yanukovych had not been discussed.
Observers have tagged the end of December for possible elections.
...