UKRAINE: Four ministers resign after collapse of talks to create a broad ruling coalition in the ex-Soviet state

Four ministers from President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party resigned on Thursday (October 19) after the collapse of talks to create a broad ruling coalition in the ex-Soviet state. Talks to expand the coalition were meant to bridge differences between Ukraine's nationalist western and central regions that support the liberal Yushchenko, and the east, closer to Russia, that backs Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich. The talks, deadlocked for weeks, collapsed after Our Ukraine walked out. But Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk and Defence Minister Anatoly Hrytsenko, pro-western figures appointed by the president, restated their intention to carry on in their jobs. And Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko, also named by Yushchenko, said he had reconsidered and would stay on. Roman Bezsmertny, leader of Our Ukraine's parliamentary group, earlier said the justice, health, culture, youth and interior ministers had tendered their resignations. "At this very moment all resignation letters from Our Ukraine ministers had been registered in parliament," he told a news conference. All the ministers met Yushchenko this week. But the resignations are unlikely to provoke a fresh government crisis two months after Yushchenko reluctantly appointed Yanukovich, his arch rival, as premier to end a long period of post-election stalemate. "The government will work in a stable fashion. I am certain of it," Yanukovich told a news conference. "We will consider in the coming days future candidates for ministers, representatives of the coalition." All key posts in the finance, economy and energy sectors are occupied by Yanukovich allies. Yanukovich took over government in August after liberals who led the 2004 "Orange Revolution" that swept the president to power failed to form a coalition. The premier is backed by a coalition of his Regions party, Communists and Socialists. Yushchenko's powers were reduced at the start of the year under constitutional amendments adopted at the height of the revolution's mass street protests. The premier and most ministers are appointed by parliament. The president has no right to sack the premier. Yanukovich lost to Yushchenko in the presidential election held in the aftermath of the revolution, but made a comeback when his Regions party came first in a March parliamentary poll. The two clashed last month over NATO when Yanukovich said Ukraine was not ready for fast-track membership because of low public support. Passions have since calmed. Yushchenko and Yanukovich have joined in a drive to persuade parliament to pass legislation vital to win membership of the World Trade Organisation.

ITN Source | October 20, 2006

Tags:. .youth. .russia. .reduced. .passions. .rival