UKRAINE: Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko rules out coalition with President Viktor Yushchenko

President Viktor Yushchenko ordered Ukraine's feuding parties on Wednesday (October 3) to strike a deal on a post-election government, a move likely to aggravate a political deadlock that has stalled economic reforms. The president's comments, as the vote count drew to a close, implied stability could be reached only through a political understanding between his allies from the "Orange Revolution" and his rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich. His statement ran counter to comments in the final stages of the campaign that he favoured a coalition only of pro-Western allies behind the 2004 revolution that swept him to power. The president had reconciled with former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a key figure in that 2004 upheaval, a few days before Sunday's (September 30) poll, which was aimed at ending a year of bickering that had hamstrung government policy-making. Tymoshenko said she would not countenance any deal involving Yanukovich. "Only democratic forces coalition may be set up without involving other political forces apart from that there is an agreement that both political forces (Our Ukraine party and the Tymoshenko bloc) of not to set up the coalition with the Regions Party," Yulia Tymoshenko said at the news briefing. Yanukovich, defeated by the president in the revolution, heads the Regions Party. The president is backed by Our Ukraine while the Tymoshenko bloc is led by his fiery former prime minister with whom he might now find himself once more at odds. With more than 99 percent of the vote counted, Regions Party had 34.3 percent and its Communist Party ally 5.4. The Tymoshenko bloc had polled 30.8 and Our Ukraine 14.2 percent. Both sides have claimed victory and the right to form a government. As votes were being counted in Kiev, Russia threatened to reduce gas supplies to Ukraine in a move analysts said was politically motivated. Tymoshenko was adamant Yanukovich could be no part of any coalition. 'We hereby state that cooperation and partnership between the democratic forces and the Regions Party can be developed only if the Regions Party is in opposition,' she said in a statement on her Internet site. Yushchenko had long discounted the notion of a "broad coalition", but never ruled it out completely. In his statement, he said it was up to the three groups to decide who would form the government and who would go into opposition. Tymoshenko became prime minister after the president's 2004 victory in the aftermath of weeks of "orange" protests, but she was sacked less than eight months later amid infighting. Yanukovich bounced back and became prime minister thanks to a parliamentary election last year, after signing a deal with the president intended to keep his pro-Western goals intact. "Orange Revolution" parties held a slight lead over allies of Ukraine's prime minister in a parliamentary election, results showed on Wednesday (October 3), but both sides are claiming victory and the right to form a government. The tight finish as the count neared completion has dashed hopes the poll would resolve a power struggle between pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich. Each side says it has the right to form a coalition in the 450-seat assembly on the basis of Sunday's contest and then a government. Long talks are likely to follow.

ITN Source | October 4, 2007

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