Ukraine's sparring political parties agreed to a date for fresh parliamentary elections early Sunday in a breakthrough hailed by both sides as an end to their feud, and the threat of military confrontation in the capital, the Interfax news agency reported, according to DPA. Pro-European President Viktor Yushchenko and pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich agreed to hold the elections on September 30. The two leaders had been locked in a long-running battle over the legality of early parliamentary elections that had been called by Yushchenko, and moves by Yanukovich's coalition to dominate parliament. The dispute degenerated further this week after Yushchenko fired a prosecutor general supported by Yanukovich, who in turn had loyal police break in and escort the prosecutor general back to his office building, brawling with pro-Yushchenko security guards in the process. It was the first outbreak violence between organized units of competing branches of the country's government, since Ukraine's 1991 independence. Yushchenko ordered all state buildings in the capital secured and some 2,000 troops were en route to Kiev Saturday, but the forces were held up outside the city by police loyal to Yanukovich. Observers feared a possible assault on the prosecutor general's office, and uniformed police were unloading steel barriers at the building late Saturday evening. Troop columns were returning to bases on Sunday, as were pro- Yanukovich police at the Prosecutor General's office building. Kiev's streets barely registered the conflict, with vehicle and pedestrian traffic moving normally under clear skies.
