A new Cabinet could be formed in Ukraine as early as Thursday if a former premier, Yury Yekhanurov, is approved for prime minister, a source in the ex-Soviet nation's Communist Party said on Tuesday.

With 99.95% of ballots counted, opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has a 3.47 percentage point lead over Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a populist leader of the 2004 "Orange Revolution" protests that led to a re-vote and Yanukovych's defeat.

"The government issue could be settled quite soon, as early as this Thursday, provided Yury Yekhanurov is appointed prime minister," the source said.

Last June, Ukraine's parliament dismissed Yekhanurov, who was earlier accused of corruption by Tymoshenko, from his post of defense minister. Yekhanurov, one of President Yushchenko's few allies in the government, had held the position from 2007.

Yekhanurov was Ukraine's premier from 2005 to 2006.

The parliamentarian said Yanukovych's Party of Regions could already be negotiating the appointment with the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense faction.

He also said that "Yekhanurov would suit everybody," and that Yanukovych would be able to explain to his electorate that the appointment of the "orange" politician was useful.

KIEV, February 9 (RIA Novosti)