Europe

Ukrainian president, PM reach agreement on early parliamentary elections

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-05-04 21:18

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich on Friday reached an agreement to hold early parliamentary elections, the Interfax news agency reported.

"Today, we reached a fundamental agreement on holding early elections and on what needs to be done for these elections to take place honestly and democratically," Yushchenko was quoted as saying after the two men held talks at the president's secretariat.

Political turmoil erupted in Ukraine in March when 11 lawmakers from pro-presidential factions defected to Yanukovich's ruling coalition.

Yushchenko called the defection illegal, saying the law permits only blocs, not individual lawmakers, to switch sides.