Pressure today grew on Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko to revive the divided Orange Revolution team as election returns showed combined support for their pro-Western reformist parties outpacing that of the pro-Russian opposition leader.

UKRAINE president Viktor Yushchenko warned that the sacking of his pro-Western government by lawmakers over a controversial gas deal with Russia would destabilise the country less than three months before a key parliamentary election.

Ukraine’s president, Viktor Yushchenko, should turn to an entirely new team of technocrats, not politicians, to form the next government, Parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn said today.

Ukraine’s newly appointed acting prime minister today planned to delve straight into talks with party leaders, aimed at putting together another broad-based Cabinet to replace the dismissed Orange Revolution team.