The pro-presidential bloc Our Ukraine-People`s Self-Defence (NU-NS) on Monday will seek a way out of the internal crisis that puts in jeopardy the creation of the “orange” ruling coalition. According to Itar-Tass, eight out of 72 parliamentarians of the pro-presidential bloc refuse to sign a coalition agreement with the bloc of Yulia Timoshenko (BYT).

Having in the aggregate 228 deputies (156 from BYT), which is sufficient for the formation of the parliamentary majority (for which 226 votes are required as a minimum) the “orange” panicked. Due to eight objectors they are losing the victory about which they wanted to announce at the first meeting of the Verkhovna Rada last Friday.

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As all the “non- signatories” belong to the party People’s Union Our Ukraine that is the core in the NU-NS bloc, it is planned to hold a meeting of the party’s political council in order to make the defiant “eight” comply. The eight disobedient lawmakers include current Secretary of the Security Council Ivan Plyushch and former Prime Minister Yuri Yekhanurov. The Our Ukraine headquarters hope to talk them into signing the coalition agreement before Tuesday and if they fail to do so they will make an administrative decision on them.

Further steps of the “orange” political forces also depend on the settlement of the internal party crisis in NU-NS. If everything passes smoothly they intend to call a meeting of the provisional presidium of the Verkhovna Rada on Monday in order to change the date of the regular parliament meeting from Thursday, November 29 to Tuesday, November 27.

BYT and NU-NS representatives believe that the decision of Raisa Bogatyreva of the Party of Regions who presided over the first meeting of the Rada to resume the meeting only on Thursday is “violation of the rules of procedure.” In particular, Yulia Timoshenko accused the Party of Regions of spinning out time “in order to further bribe deputies getting their votes for which several days will be needed.”

At the same time representative of the Party of Regions Taras Chornovil did not rule out that the parliament may start work on Tuesday, but only if “two documents will be ready by this day – the agreement on coalition of 226 deputies and a statement of 150 deputies needed for calling an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada.”

Opponents from BYT and NU-NS say that they “have a possibility to hold a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday in accordance with the rules of procedure.” A leading representative of NU-NS Yuri Klyuchkosvky stressed that the “orange” forces recognise the threat “of the aggravation of the situation in the parliament.”

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said he is ready “to take tough measures, if the Supreme Rada does not begin working.” Yushchenko made this statement live on the television channel 1+1 in reply to a question, whether he is ready to dissolve the parliament again, if the Supreme Rada does not form a ruling coalition for the period stipulated in the law.

“I am ready for further tough measures in order to ensure the work of parliament. The Supreme Rada should form a coalition and government. I believe in the democratic majority (the Yulia Timoshenko Bloc and the pro-presidential bloc Our Ukraine-People’s Self-Defence),” Yushchenko emphasised.

The president indicated that the country lives without a working parliament for eight months. “Ukraine cannot live without a viable parliament. We will find the way to ensure the work of this democratic institution,” the president pointed out.