Yushchenko, Yanukovych spokesmen deny conspiracy ahead of polls
25/12/200921:52
KIEV, December 25 (RIA Novosti) - Spokesmen for both Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych denied on Friday their conspiracy ahead of presidential polls.
Earlier in the day, a senior official at Ukraine's secretariat, Yaroslav Kozachok, published a secret deal pledging Yushchenko the post of premier if Yanukovych wins the January 17 presidential election. Kozachok reportedly resigned in protest.
“Today we have witnessed the use of smear tactics. A former official at Ukraine’s presidential secretariat distributed a forged document that was to complete an operation to blacken the Ukrainian leader,” Yushchenko’s press service said.
Anna German from Yanukovych’s Party of Regions denied ‘resolutely’ the reports of a conspiracy.
“I have not reached any agreement with Yushchenko, but I am ready to agree with everyone if need be for the Ukrainian people to live a better life and for the country to recover from the crisis sooner,” German quoted Yanukovych as saying in an interview with the Ukrainskaya Pravda online edition.
Last week, Yanukovych himself excluded the option of appointing Yushchenko prime minister if he won the polls.
"We are political rivals," he said.
Yanukovych also pledged on Tuesday to prevent electoral fraud at the polls, while Yushchenko said on Sunday he was convinced he would win the election despite his low rating.
