Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's administration on Wednesday urged the swift privatization of telecommunications giant Ukrtelekom _ a move that has faced opposition from supporters of his rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, reported The Assocaited Press. The sale of Ukrtelekom, in which the government holds a 92.9 percent stake, has been repeatedly postponed despite Yushchenko's calls for an auction this year. The State Property Fund, headed by a member of Yanukovych's governing coalition, recently proposed leaving a controlling stake in state hands and sought to sell off smaller chunks of shares. A court prohibited the sale of a 1 percent stake in may. Yushchenko's office strongly criticized the idea, and his administration on Wednesday amplified its call for an effort to attract a strategic investor by selling off a controlling share.
