Victor Yushchenko has met with leaders of the parliamentary coalition: Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, Verkhovna Rada Speaker Oleksandr Moroz, Finance Minister Mykola Azarov, Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrynovych, Deputy Speaker Adam Martynyuk, Communist Party Head Petro Symonenko, Coalition Coordinator Raisa Bohatyryova, Cabinet Secretary Anatoly Tolstoukhov, and MP Evhen Kushnaryov, according to the President`s press-office.
Secretariat Chief of Staff Viktor Baloha, NSDCU Secretary Vitaly Haiduk, Deputy Chiefs of Staff Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Ivan Vasyunyk were present at the meeting.
The President said, “I appreciate this dialogue and want it to yield constructive results.”
The political leaders spoke about how to improve cooperation in the President-Parliament-Government triangle. Mr. Yushchenko is convinced it is necessary to find mechanisms to “make these offices closer.”
“I want no war with the Prime Minister and the Verkhovna Rada Speaker,” he said, adding that they must adhere to the country’s laws and Constitution. “I will issue decrees to void governmental decisions until they are consistent with our laws. This is not the war of decrees but my position.”
The President believes they must unite to protect national priorities. He insists that politicians fulfill obligations they assumed when signing the National Unity Pact.
“I was a great optimist when we were elaborating this document. I believe only common goals can unite people with different political views,” he said.
He asked them not to broach subjects that divide society, such as NATO membership, the Holodomor, or language issues.
“We are officially in government today. I want us to build our relations in a way that gives us stability and social peace.”
The President told reporters after the meeting its participants “made compromises on the issues discussed by the people recently.” He said they had agreed to form a group involving professionals from the government and the Presidential Secretariat, whose aim is to formulate temporary procedure rules regulating their relations.
Mr. Yushchenko said they had also discussed the budget issue and agreed to hold consultations between the economic department of the Secretariat and the Finance Ministry to remove misunderstandings caused by his veto. He also said they would meet every three weeks.
