Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party decided on Wednesday to stay out of a coalition with its rivals and intends to pull its ministers out of the government in a move likely to generate instability, according to Reuters. Yushchenko agreed to appoint his longstanding political opponent Viktor Yanukovich as prime minister in August after attempts to form a coalition of backers of the 2004 pro-Western "Orange Revolution" collapsed despite over four months of talks. Yanukovich assembled a coalition of his Regions Party, Communists and Socialists and tried to persuade the president's allies to join a broad government to bridge the gap between nationalist western Ukraine and the Russian-speaking east. But Roman Bezsmertny, leader of Our Ukraine's group in parliament, said the long-running talks failed because of differing views on Ukraine's future development. "The talks are now over. There is a government coalition and there is Our Ukraine in opposition to the government coalition," Bezsmertny said after the latest round of discussions. "We will withdraw our ministers and ask the president to withdraw ministers appointed by him," he said in a statement on the party Web site www.razom.org.ua. The liberal Yushchenko wants to move Ukraine closer to Europe's mainstream and eventually win EU membership. Yanukovich backs closer ties with Russia. His socialists and communists allies also oppose a drive for a more open and liberal economy. Since Yanukovich's appointment, he and the president have been locked in a struggle for influence and power, complicated by constitutional changes boosting the premier's powers and giving the two men nearly equal prerogatives. Yanukovich has installed his allies to all key posts in the economic, financial and energy sectors. Our Ukraine has four ministries, overseeing cultural, health and youth issues. Yushchenko directly appoints the foreign and defence ministers and named an ally as interior minister. Yanukovich's most public clash with the president erupted last month when he told NATO officials in Brussels that Ukraine was not ready for fast-track membership because of low public support. He then tried to increase his influence in the regions. Yushchenko says his premier is overstepping his powers. Yanukovich and his allies cling to a majority of about 240 seats in the 450-seat chamber. The opposition, which includes flamboyant ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko, will have about 200. Our Ukraine's withdrawal will complicate efforts to win the chamber's approval for the government's 2007 budget. Yushchenko has already criticised the draft for a lack of transparency. Yushchenko beat Yanukovich in 2004 in a rerun of a rigged presidential election that sparked big protests. Yanukovich made a comeback in March, when his party topped a parliamentary poll.
