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Crisis as Yushchenko dissolves Parliament

Vladimir Radyuhin

House refuses to disband, sacks poll panel

MOSCOW: Ukraine's pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko triggered off an acute political crisis in the country by dissolving Parliament under a controversial pretext and ordering new elections next month.

The Ukrainian leader, locked in a fierce battle for power with his pro-Russian rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, on Monday night signed a decree to dissolve the legislature and call a new parliamentary poll on May 27. He accused the pro-Government majority coalition of violating the Constitution by recruiting individual Opposition members to its ranks.

However, Parliament, meeting in a crisis session on Tuesday, refused to disband and asked the Constitutional Court to strike down the decree, saying it "bears all the signs of a step towards a coup d'etat." Parliament also dissolved the Central Election Commission formed during the Orange Revolution, which brought Mr. Yushchenko to power two-and-a-half years ago, and banned the Government from funding new parliamentary elections.

Thousands of Government supporters have gathered in the capital Kiev to protest against the dissolution of Parliament.

Experts said Mr. Yushchenko dissolved Parliament after several deputies from the pro-President bloc changed sides, boosting the hopes of the pro-Government coalition to gain a two-thirds majority needed to overturn presidential vetoes. Deputies claimed their step did not contravene the Constitution.

Russian analysts were quick to see the hand of the United States in the Ukrainian crisis. They said Mr. Yushchenko's ally and Opposition leader Yulia Timoshenko had secured U.S. support for disbanding Parliament when she visited the U.S. earlier this year. Ukrainian wire services reported that the U.S. Ambassador in Ukraine, William Taylor, had spent two hours at Mr. Yushchenko's office when the latter was holding crisis talks with the parliamentary parties on Monday night.

Russia said it was closely watching with concern the situation in Ukraine and offered help in resolving the crisis within the framework of law.

"If Kiev asks for our assistance, I assure you, Russia won't be found wanting," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

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