Ex-Soviet States 
Tymoshenko urges Yushchenko to veto election law amendments
Topic: Presidential election campaign in Ukraine

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
© RIA Novosti. Grigoryi VasilenkoRelated News
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko called on President Viktor Yushchenko on Wednesday to veto amendments to the presidential election law the ex-Soviet state's parliament adopted earlier today.
The amendments cancel the two-thirds quorum required for electoral commissions' decisions to be legal.
"I address the Ukrainian president... If he feels he is responsible for democracy to continue developing in our state, this law [on amendments] should be vetoed," Tymoshenko said in a statement posted on her website.
Electoral commissions are formed on a parity basis between the opposition Party of Regions led by Yanukovych and the bloc of Tymoshenko. Yanukovych and Tymoshenko will face each other in Sunday's presidential runoff.
Previously, electoral commission sessions were ruled legal only if two-thirds of their members were present.
Yanukovych said Wednesday he was convinced Yushchenko would approve the amendments.
The Party of Regions was pushing for the quorum to be canceled, saying Tymoshenko's bloc could frustrate the second round by requesting its representatives not to attend electoral commission sessions.
But Tymoshenko's bloc said the cancelation could result in ballot falsifications as the presence of representatives of only one political force would be allowed.
President Yushchenko is yet to sign the amendments approved by 233 MPs of the 226 needed.
Presidential representative in parliament Ihor Popov told journalists he did not know yet whether the president will sign the amendments as they "have pluses and minuses." He said the president is likely to decide on the issue Thursday.
Even if Yushchenko signs the amendments, they will not come into force until published in government newspapers, which could fail to happen in the period remaining until February 7.
KIEV, February 3 (RIA Novosti)

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Tymoshenko smells fear as Yanukovych stays away from TV debate












