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Ukraine official alleges murder plot against opposition leaders

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An official in Ukraine's presidential administration said Friday an assassination plot had been planned against opposition leaders.
KIEV, May 11 (RIA Novosti) - An official in Ukraine's presidential administration said Friday an assassination plot had been planned against opposition leaders.

"We have evidence showing that the number one name [on the hit list] was Yulia Tymoshenko," Valeriy Heletei said. "We also know that it [the attack] was to have taken place this week."

He also said other targets for attack included Ukrainian opposition leaders Yuriy Lysenko and David Zhvania, adding the evidence will soon be formally presented to Ukraine's national security service.

Heletei said the plot was designed to provoke a political confrontation in Ukraine and was organized by some criminal groups in conjunction with certain radical political forces.

He named no names but said some high level Interior Ministry officials were involved, among others.

In mid-April, Volodymyr Syvkovych, a deputy from the Party of Regions, said in an interview with a local paper that an attempt on Tymoshenko's life was possible, asking the president to beef up security arrangements for opposition leaders.

Tymoshenko said at the time she would not be intimidated.

The ruling coalition dismissed the plot allegations as a dirty trick and electioneering.

Anna Herman, a member of parliament from the Party of Regions, said the purported assassination plot had no relation to reality and had been contrived by the opposition to strengthen its electoral appeal.

"It is sad that the opposition is once again resorting to lies, dirt and slander," she said.

Ukraine's opposition said Thursday it is ready to return to parliament and pass all necessary laws to settle an ongoing political crisis.

President Yushchenko said if Ukraine's political forces fail to reach a compromise and overcome an ongoing crisis, a decision on snap parliamentary elections will be made by the National Security and Defense Council.

"If no results are produced, I will have to call an emergency meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, which will address these matters," he said.

Pro-presidential factions quit the disbanded parliament April 19.

Yushchenko said he is ready to "temporarily" suspend his decree disbanding parliament as it meets for a plenary session, but did not provide details on its legal status.

Opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko said June 24 is the only legitimate date for a parliamentary election, as established by presidential decree, but said the president is ready to move it back to July 8 if representatives of all political forces meet in parliament for one day and reach a compromise solution.

Tensions in the ex-Soviet state have persisted since Yanukovych came to power as prime minister after the March 2006 parliamentary elections, following his defeat by Yushchenko in the 2004 presidential election

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