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Ukrainians begin coalition talks

Political parties began tense talks yesterday after Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko called for a unity government following parliamentary polls that gave pro-Western forces a slim majority.

Near final results gave a narrow lead to an alliance of Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party and the opposition Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, raising the possibility of a reunion of the team that lead the pro-democracy Orange Revolution in 2004.

The president shocked many observers in a national address on Wednesday by calling for coalition talks to also include the pro-Russian Regions Party led by his bitter rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

He later noted that Our Ukraine and the Tymoshenko bloc had won the votes to form a governing coalition but said that the Regions party should also be given senior posts.

"If the results of the election give the democratic forces a majority -- and this is the case -- the relationship between the authorities and opposition should be constructive," Yushchenko said.

"If for this we have to provide the opportunity for the opposition to work in relevant posts in parliament ... then we need to give them these posts," he said.

The Regions party accepted the president's offer and has sent Our Ukraine a list of subjects for discussion, said Anna German, a member of parliament for the party.

Consultations between Our Ukraine and the Regions party were due to start Thursday, she said.

But the party of fiery reformist Yulia Tymoshenko rejected the possibility of a coalition with the Regions party. A spokeswoman said it was already holding talks -- but only with Our Ukraine.

A parliamentary deputy with Yushchenko's Our Ukraine, Yury Pavlenko, said on Wednesday that the party had already decided to form a coalition government with Tymoshenko's bloc, Interfax said.

Yushchenko did not mention who he wanted as prime minister but aides -- including a senior administration official on Tuesday -- made it clear that the president aims to change Yanukovych for Tymoshenko.

She is popular among Ukrainian nationalists and those supporting efforts to wrest Ukraine from Russia's centuries-old dominance.

Expectations that she would become prime minister raised fears of difficult relations with Moscow -- an issue highlighted by threats of a new gas dispute this week between Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine.

Yushchenko and Tymoshenko shot to worldwide fame when they led the 2004 Orange Revolution to overturn a rigged presidential election victory by Yanukovych.

The strong performance of Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc in Sunday's poll allowed a revival of her on-off alliance with Yushchenko.

With 99.93 percent of ballots counted, their Orange coalition had won just under 45 percent of the vote, while the Regions Party has 34.3 percent on its own.

After the final count, votes for parties that do not pass a 3 percent threshold for entering parliament will be divided up -- a move that would give the Orange coalition a majority.
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