KIEV, May 22 (RIA Novosti) - Two of the three Ukrainian parties that stood behind the "orange revolution" are ready to sign a draft coalition agreement later in the day, a party leader said Monday.
The mooted coalition, which could bring an end to the parliamentary limbo that has paralyzed Ukrainian politics since March 26 elections, comprises former premier Yulia Tymoshenko's eponymous bloc, the pro-presidential Our Ukraine bloc, and the Socialist Party.
Oleksandr Turchinov, a leader of Tymoshenko's bloc, said the party, which finished second in the election with 22.29% of the vote (129 out of 450 seats), and the Socialist Party, which took 5.69% of the vote (33 seats), would sign the agreement by the end of the day.
"The Yulia Tymoshenko bloc expects to sign the draft agreement prepared together with the Socialists during the day," he said.
Negotiations on forming a coalition, as mandated in the country's constitution, have been complicated over disagreements on who should be appointed prime minister, and over Tymoshenko's refusal to deal with the pro-Russia Party of Regions, which came first in the parliamentary elections and holds 186 seats but has been frozen out of the coalition.
Tymoshenko, a major player in the 2004 "orange revolution," has consistently said she wants to return to her former position as prime minister, from which President Viktor Yushchenko fired her in September 2005 in public fallout that saw both sides trading allegations of corruption.
Turchinov said Our Ukraine, which came third in the elections with 13.95% of the vote (81 seats), would be able to sign the document Tuesday.
He also said the draft agreement outlined all mechanisms for appointing the prime minister and the parliamentary speaker.
Our Ukraine has repeatedly insisted that the coalition first agree on the principles of work and only then distribute the high posts in government structures.
Yushchenko said a coalition agreement had to be signed before the first session of parliament on May 25. If parliamentarians fail to agree a month after the parliament starts work, the president is entitled to disband the legislature and call new elections.
