Ukraine continues political deadlock

Rival factions in Ukraine’s parliament failed today to agree on passing electoral changes aimed at ensuring a fair vote in the nation’s December 26 presidential run-off.

Parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn said consultations on passing both electoral changes and constitutional reforms simultaneously would continue. He said outgoing President Leonid Kuchma was ready to attend the session and sign them into law immediately after the vote.

Supporters of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko said the changes were necessary to close loopholes for fraud that marred the November 21 presidential run-off.

Evidence of vote-rigging prompted the Supreme Court to cancel the victory of Kremlin-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko and order the re-run.

But a loose coalition of communists, socialists and pro-government factions said they would only pass the electoral changes simultaneously with a constitutional reform that would trim presidential powers. Yushchenko has opposed the changes, saying Kuchma’s allies fear his victory and want to curb his authority, if he were elected.

Opponents reached a tentative agreement yesterday to vote the electoral and constitutional changes all at once, but it collapsed later during European-sponsored talks between Kuchma and both candidates.

The two candidates’ allies in parliament failed to reach compromise during a raucous session Tuesday amid mutual accusations and recriminations.

Ukraine’s outgoing President Leonid Kuchma today approved leave for Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who is running for president, and named a temporary successor.

Kuchma named First Deputy Prime Minister Mykola Azarov in charge of the Cabinet while Yanukovych is on leave, the presidential office said in a statement.

Yanukovych’s victory in the November 21 run-off was cancelled by the Supreme Court on Friday, announced that he was taking leave on Monday.

Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko has demanded that Kuchma fire Yanukovych following a non-binding no-confidence motion signed by parliament.

Ukrainian law bans dismissing a presidential candidate during the election campaign unless he agrees to be fired.