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Ukrainians show support for `orange' team

Leader of the opposition Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, Yulia Tymoshenko, speaks to the media in Kiev on Monday. PHOTO: AP

Pressure grew yesterday on Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko to revive the divided Orange Revolution team as election returns showed combined support for their pro-Western reformist parties outpacing that of the pro-Russian opposition leader.

Viktor Yanukovych's Party of the Regions expanded his lead with 30.1 percent of the vote, with more than 70 percent of ballots counted. Trailing behind was the party of the Orange Revolution's heroine, former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, with a strong showing of 22.4 percent. She was significantly ahead of the Our Ukraine party of her one-time partner Yushchenko, which had 15.2 percent.

The Socialist Party, which backed the Orange Revolution and serves in Yushchenko's government, was in fourth place with 6.3 percent of the vote, followed by the Communists with 3.6 percent. No other parties had made it over the 3 percent barrier, early election results showed.

Yushchenko -- smarting from his party's humiliating third-place finish -- planned to hold consultations with his former Orange allies and Yanukovych's bloc yesterday, his office said. The talks were coming amid strong public pressure from Tymoshenko to move quickly to reunite the Orange team, calling such an approach the only way to preserve the democratic and pro-Western ideals that formed the basis of the 2004 election protest triggered by Yanukovych's ballot-stuffing attempt to win the presidency.

Yushchenko's job was not at stake, but the newly elected parliament will enjoy vast new powers under reforms that give it the right to name -- and dismiss -- the prime minister and much of the Cabinet. Since no one party won an outright majority in the 450-seat chamber, the parties will have to hammer out a coalition to form the government.

Socialist Party leader Oleksandr Moroz was quoted as saying yesterday he had already signed an agreement to continue his partnership with Yushchenko's party, adding talks were also under way with Tymoshenko. Asked what the future coalition would look like, he answered the Unian news agency with one word: "Orange."

A reunion of Orange forces could be personally unpalatable for Yushchenko, who had a bitter falling-out with Tymoshenko last year, but analysts said it is the only way for him to preserve his support base in Western Ukraine, which election results suggest is defecting to Tymoshenko.

A revived Orange Team would frustrate Yanukovych's efforts to return to power, but as expected head of the biggest parliamentary faction, the pro-Russian leader could still play a key role in shaping Ukrainian politics.

"The chances of an Orange coalition are pretty good. The momentum is moving in that direction," said Ivan Lozowy, president of the Kiev-based Institute of Statehood and Democracy. "It would just be ridiculous if Our Ukraine teamed up with Yanukovych's huge monster of a party. It's such an incongruous picture."

It remained unclear whether Yushchenko would delay coalition talks until receiving a final vote count, as his chief-of-staff had suggested. Central Election Commission head Yaroslav Davydovych blamed the delay, in part, on exceptionally long ballots -- 45 parties were competing -- and problems, such as Kiev officials ignoring the law and counting their mayoral race before the parliamentary contest. But Davydovych declared yesterday: "We are in the final stage."

Tymoshenko took a tough stance before yesterday's planned talks, saying that her party also is demanding to take charge of at least one law-enforcement agency and will continue its push for reviewing privatization deals that violated the law.

Her pledge to review 3,000 privatization deals shook business confidence and helped fuel the political infighting that led to her dismissal.

Yushchenko put Prime Minister Yuri Yekhanurov in charge of coalition talks -- a clear signal that the president was not ready to accept Tymoshenko's conditions, since Yekhanurov wants to keep his job.

Yushchenko, who retains the right to set the nation's foreign policy and appoint the foreign and defense ministers, pledged that Ukraine would continue on its West-leaning path. Yanukovych, who is supported by the industrial magnates of eastern Ukraine, has called for closer ties with Moscow and an end to Kiev's bid to join NATO, but he supports EU membership.
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