No-confidence vote in Ukraine government

In a dramatic reversal, Ukraine’s parliament passed a vote of no-confidence in the government today, mustering three more votes than necessary to carry the motion.

The vote came minutes after the chamber turned down the motion, and after outgoing President Leonid Kuchma said he supported holding an entire new presidential election, not just a revote of the disputed second round which both candidates claim they won.

Ukraine had a first round of voting in which no one candidate received more than half the votes, setting up a runoff between the top two candidates.

The results from the November 21 run-off provoked a national stand-off when the opposition refused to accept the results, citing vote fraud – a charge backed by many international monitors.

“Where in the world do they have a third round of elections? A revote – it’s a farce,” Kuchma said at a government meeting today. “I never supported it because it is unconstitutional.”

The opposition has sought a revote, claiming victory was stolen from its candidate, Viktor Yushchenko. Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who had Kuchma’s support, was declared the official winner.

Kuchma’s proposal seemed to be an attempt to buy the government time in the face of mass protests that have paralysed the capital, Kiev, for 10 days and blocked government business.

It came as international mediators renewed efforts to defuse the crisis while the opposing sides awaited a Supreme Court decision on whether the election results were valid.

Kremlin backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said he could agree to a proposal for a new election – but that both he and opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko should bow out if one is held.

“If this election brings a split in the country ... I’m ready to drop my bid along with him,” Yanukovych said.

Yushchenko ignored the proposal. He also rebuffed the offer of the prime minister’s post under a Yanukovych presidency, saying it fell far short of a solution.

“The election was rigged,” he said. “People are asking whether this country has a political elite capable of upholding a fair vote.”

Yushchenko has led the opposition for years and was long seen as its candidate in a country where millions are yearning for change after Kuchma’s 10 year rule. Kuchma anointed Yanukovych as his favoured successor last spring, hoping his prominence as prime minister would attract votes.