MOSCOW, May 25 (RIA Novosti) - Members of Ukraine's new parliament will be sworn in Thursday two months after elections failed to produce a clear winner that could form a coalition majority to lead a government.
The ex-communist nation has been in parliamentary limbo since the March 26 vote created a deadlock, as the pro-Russia Party of Regions finished 10% ahead of its nearest rival in the vote but has been frozen out of the coalition-building process as three other movements sought to do a deal.
The Supreme Rada, though, will open as planned. "The opening ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. (7 a.m. GMT) with Ivan Gerasimov, the oldest member of parliament, reading the oath," the chamber's press service said.
It also said Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko would address parliament after an interim presidium is elected.
Under the constitution, the current government will resign but continue to work until a new one is appointed should a majority coalition in the Rada, which is needed to form a new government, be formed.
The race to form a majority coalition seemed to be almost over early last week, but it took an unexpected turn Tuesday when the bloc led by former premier Yulia Tymoshenko accused one of its allies of siding with a pro-Russian party.
The tripartite coalition was likely to include Tymoshenko's bloc, the pro-presidential Our Ukraine, led by incumbent Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov, and the Socialist Party.
Oleksandr Turchinov, a representative of the Tymoshenko bloc, said Our Ukraine and the Party of Regions, led by former presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych, had voted together during a session of a four-party working group charged with overseeing preparations for the new parliament's first session.
Official results from the March ballot saw the Party of Regions take first place with 32.14% of the vote, which translates to 186 seats in the 450-seat Rada. Yanukovych's party was followed by the Tymoshenko bloc with 22.29% of the vote (129 seats), Our Ukraine with 13.95% (81 seats), the Socialist Party with 5.69% (33 seats) and the Communist Party with 3.66% (21 seats).
No other party won a 3% share of the vote needed to take up seats in the Rada.
