KIEV, May 3 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's Socialist Party said Wednesday it and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko had sent a letter to the country's president requesting a meeting by May 5 on forming a parliamentary coalition.
The move is an apparent bid to break current deadlock as the deadline approaches to form a coalition in the Supreme Rada, as required under the country's constitution, following elections March 26.
Tymoshenko, whose bloc came second in the ballot, and Socialist leader Oleksandr Moroz suggested President Viktor Yushchenko maintain a permanent dialog with "democratic forces" in a bid to foster the country's development and the emergence of a democratic coalition and a new government, as well as boost cooperation between the coalition and the president.
The two leaders said the 242 seats won by their groups and pro-presidential bloc Our Ukraine in the 450-seat Rada would allow them to have a parliamentary majority and form a government.
"The majority of voters supported democratic parties, which allows them, in partnership with the president, to ensure a democratic development of the country and continue implementing the presidential program 'Ten Steps Toward the People,'" the Socialist Party said.
Under the Ukrainian Constitution, the Rada must form a coalition majority within 30 days of the new parliament starting work, and appoint a new government in the next 30 days.
Coalition talks were launched immediately after the vote, but have largely stalled over who should be prime minister, as well as opposition from Tymoshenko and the Socialists to contacts with the pro-Russian Party of Regions, which won the ballot to take 186 seats and is led by former presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych.
Earlier, Tymoshenko, dismissed as prime minister in September 2005 after only seven months in office over a rift with Yushchenko, said she would only join a coalition if she were appointed prime minister.
Yushchenko and Our Ukraine, which finished third, said they were ready to cooperate with both the future majority and the opposition.
