Ukraine's president threatens to call snap election

Kiev: Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko threatened yesterday to call a snap election, accusing his prime minister of wrecking the ruling coalition by joining forces with his rivals.

Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said the coalition had been broken up by Yushchenko himself, whose party was part of the government in power since December, and her party said it was not looking at any new grouping.

"If ... a coalition of factions is not created, I will use my right to dismiss parliament and announce early elections," Yushchenko said in a televised statement.

He said Tymoshenko had joined forces with the Regions Party of former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich and the Communist Party.

Yushchenko and Tymoshenko have been at odds over practically all policies from the moment she took office.

He, she and Yanukovich are almost certain to stand in a presidential election in about 16 months, and political analysts have seen the arguments between Tymoshenko and Yushchenko as political manoeuvring ahead of the poll.

"The president and his office has used every means to ruin the coalition," Tymoshenko told a cabinet meeting. "It is a pity that the president behaves with no responsibility. The coalition split yesterday, by his own decision."

Under the constitution, the two parties have 10 days to sort out their differences and revive the coalition. If they do not do so, parliament has 30 days to form a new coalition. After that, the president has the right to call a new election.

Analysts have said, and polls have shown, that if an election were held now, Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party would lose seats, while both Tymoshenko's bloc and the Regions party would make gains.