Ukraine president says Dec poll is 'no tragedy'

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said yesterday the Dec 7 early election he had called was "no tragedy" and urged voters to look upon the third such ballot in as many years as a vital part of democracy.

Yushchenko named the day while on a visit to Italy, a day after he told Ukrainians he had abandoned the search for a viable coalition in parliament.

He blamed Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, his estranged ally from the 2004 "Orange Revolution", for the break-up of a coalition that emerged from the pro-Western upheaval which swept him to power.