- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Ukrainian government allocates funds for snap elections

Subscribe
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved state budget amendments to disburse funding for early parliamentary elections, the country's defense minister said Thursday.
KIEV, October 16 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved state budget amendments to disburse funding for early parliamentary elections, the country's defense minister said Thursday.

"This bill was approved at a Cabinet session," Yuriy Yekhanurov said.

A senior parliament official said the Supreme Rada could approve the relevant amendments to the 2008 state budget next Tuesday.

First Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Lavrynovych said the bill to release funds for the campaign had long been pending in parliament.

The government refused Tuesday to allocate election campaign funds and urged President Viktor Yushchenko to reverse a decision calling for early parliamentary polls.

Yushchenko dissolved the legislature and called early polls for December 7 after his ruling "orange" coalition with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko collapsed when the premier's party sided with the opposition in passing a law to cut the president's powers.

The government had been ordered to allocate $80 million from the state reserve for the election campaign on Monday.

Yushchenko and Tymoshenko, leaders of the 2004 "Orange Revolution," have drifted apart over a host of issues, including Russia's war with Georgia in August. Both are expected to run for president in 2010.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала