Ukraine has been in parliamentary limbo since the March 26 elections failed to produce a clear leader. A group of Western-leaning parties seemed to be near a coalition deal but negotiations now appear to have broken down.
Roman Zvarych, a member of the pro-presidential Our Ukraine bloc, proposed a recess saying that the "consultations could determine the scheme of talks and the sides that are ready to start these talks."
Zvarych said Our Ukraine had held preliminary consultations with the pro-Russia Party of Regions led by former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, which claimed the largest single share of the vote in the March 26 elections to the Supreme Rada.
"Our proposal to hold these consultations with other political forces still stands," Zvarych said. "These consultations may be multilateral and bilateral."
Negotiations on forming a coalition were complicated over disagreements on who should be appointed prime minister and parliamentary speaker, and the refusal of Yuliya Tymoshenko, another former premier and heroine of the 2004 "orange revolution," to deal with Party of Regions.
Tymoshenko's bloc held coalition talks with Our Ukraine and the Socialist Party after the elections but they yielded no result.
Under the Ukrainian Constitution, parliament is to forge a coalition within 30 days after parliament's first session, which took place on May 25. If parliamentarians fail to reach an agreement, President Viktor Yushchenko is entitled to disband the legislature and call new elections.
Official results from the March ballot saw the Party of Regions take first place with 186 seats in the 450-seat Rada. Yanukovych's party was followed by the Tymoshenko bloc with 129 seats, Our Ukraine with 81 seats, the Socialist Party with 33 seats and the Communist Party with 21 seats.
