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Ukraine coalition ready to sign agreement - presidential advisor

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If a coalition is signed, it will bring an end to months of political wrangling among Ukraine's political parties, after parliamentary elections March 26 failed to produce a clear winner. Talks between pro-Western groups stalled over issues including nominations to key positions.
KIEV, June 21 (RIA Novosti) - An agreement on forming a majority coalition in Ukraine's parliament is ready to be signed, a presidential advisor said Wednesday.

If a coalition is signed, it will bring an end to months of political wrangling among Ukraine's political parties, after parliamentary elections March 26 failed to produce a clear winner. Talks between pro-Western groups stalled over issues including nominations to key positions.

"Judging by announcements made in parliament, and information from yesterday, the coalition agreement is fully ready for signing, i.e. it awaits approval from all deputies and members of the corresponding factions," said Mykola Poludenny, Viktor Yushchenko's legal advisor.

The Supreme Rada Wednesday went into recess again after a motion proposed by pro-presidential grouping Our Ukraine to sign a coalition agreement on June 23 failed to gain the required majority of lawmakers' votes. But Poludenny said that compromises had been found on all disputed aspects of the agreement.

"The document is a good one in that it expresses a political strategy whose aims include fulfilling the priorities of the head of state," he said.

If the coalition agreement is ready by the end of the day, it may be put forward for another vote at a parliamentary session Thursday.

Coalition talks were initially held by three groups - Our Ukraine, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's bloc, and the Socialist Party. But the talks broke down, mainly over differences on the allocation of key positions, though Tymoshenko has since said that the matter has now been settled.

Our Ukraine proposed creating a "grand coalition" also involving the Party of Regions, but the idea was rejected by Tymoshenko, who is seeking an "orange" coalition with Western leaning political forces.

Our Ukraine is continuing talks with its allies in the "orange revolution," which swept liberal President Viktor Yushchenko to power in early 2005, as well as with the Party of Regions, which counts the industrial and largely Russian-speaking east of the country as its power base.

Speaking to reporters, Viktor Yanukovych, leader of the largely pro-Russian Party of Regions, which won the largest share of the vote in the March 26 elections, said Wednesday: "We believe the coalition must be formed today. Tomorrow morning is the deadline for announcing its formation. If this does not happen, we will start electing the Rada leadership. We believe every day is precious as the country has become tired of disorganization."

If parliament fails to forge a coalition by June 24, President Viktor Yushchenko could disband the Supreme Rada and call new elections.

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