Ukraine PM demands parliament, presidential polls

KIEV, Apr 27 (Reuters) Ukraine's prime minister today said the country could solve its protracted political crisis only if his rival, President Viktor Yushchenko, agreed to hold simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections.

Yushchenko, who wants to move Ukraine closer to the West, has long been at odds with Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich and the majority in parliament backing him.

The president, who defeated Yanukovich in 2004 after weeks of ''Orange Revolution'' rallies in his favour, issued a decree this week, the second this month, dissolving parliament. A new parliamentary election was set for June 24.

Yanukovich, clearly irritated, told a rally the president was impeding a solution and trying to supplant key institutions.

''Who gave a single person the right to take over all branches of authority and all the courts?'' Yanukovich told more than 10,000 supporters in Independence Square, focal point of the 2004 upheavals.

Yushchenko, he said, must rescind his decrees and hold parliamentary and presidential elections.

''Let people see who is who in this country and how we are to live...Let him make this courageous step if he respects his country and Ukraine's people. The president would make an honest, dignified move and we would end the political crisis.'' He repeated that the new decree undermined understandings reached in talks with the president since the president issued his first order on dissolving parliament on April 2.

Yanukovich, closer to Moscow in outlook, has opposed the notion of a new election. With parliament's backing, he had pressed for simultaneous parliamentary and presidential polls, but Yushchenko has rejected twin polls.

Both had, however, called for compromise in weeks of talks.

EU CONCERN Unlike 2004, when the West backed Yushchenko's allegation that he had lost a rigged presidential election, this time the European Union and United States have not taken sides.

The EU's German presidency expressed ''serious concern'' at the failure to resolve the crisis and said events prompted fears ''that the willingness of the feuding parties to work together to find ways out of the political crisis is diminishing.'' Yanukovich's allies launched a fresh court challenge to the president's bid for a new election.

The Constitutional Court had been considering the earlier decree, now considered annulled. A total of 160 deputies asked the court to examine the legality of the second decree.

In Warsaw, Yushchenko, called for further talks after meeting Polish leaders. ''A true settlement to the crisis lies in the political context. We must sit down at the negotiating table,'' he told Ukrainian journalists.

Yanukovich, due to chair a meeting of his cabinet tomorrow, said earlier that the president had acted out of fear the constitutional court would rule against him.

Parliament has denounced the new decree as illegal. Its chairman asked a committee to consider impeachment proceedings against the president. But rules on impeachment are complex and Yushchenko's opponents are unlikely to muster enough votes.

The president dissolved parliament on the grounds that Yanukovich, who controls 260 of 450 votes in the chamber, was illegally enticing his allies to join the premier's coalition. REUTERS RJ ND2336