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Coalition Negotiations Continue In Ukraine
March 29, 2006 -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is expected to continue consultations today on forming a new coalition government.
According to preliminary results, the Party of Regions, led by former pro-Russian presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych, won the most votes in the March 26 parliamentary elections. The party of Yushchenko's former Orange Revolution ally Yuliya Tymoshenko came in second, followed by Yushchenko's own Our Ukraine bloc.
Yushchenko and Tymoshenko, however, had more combined votes than Yanukovych and could rule together, if they overcome their differences.
The Our Ukraine leadership meeting on March 28 said the new government must be a "coalition of democratic forces."
Yushchenko held consultations with both Yanukovych and Tymoshenko on March 28. After the talks, Tymoshenko said she and the president had "a common vision for Ukraine's future." Yushchenko's office said the consultations with both party leaders were "preliminary."
(compiled from agency reports)
Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
