Political foes trade accusations in Ukraine

Ukraine:Supporters of Ukraine's feuding president and prime minister faced off across police lines in central Kiev yesterday, as both factions accused each other of making an illegal grab for power.

No violence was reported as allies of Viktor Yanukovich heckled followers of President Viktor Yushchenko and decried his order to dissolve parliament and hold snap elections next month.

The legislature, which is dominated by Mr Yanukovich's supporters, again refused to disband yesterday, instead issuing a denunciation of Mr Yushchenko's tactics and refusing to prepare for an election until Ukraine's constitutional court had ruled on its legality.

Mr Yanukovich insists the president is illegally attempting to sideline parliament and seize complete power, while Mr Yushchenko accuses his rival of violating the constitution by poaching MPs from other parties, with the aim of securing a two-thirds majority in the assembly which would allow him to overrule and ultimately oust the head of state.

"Until the constitutional court examines this issue, we will not engage in any preparations for any elections," Mr Yanukovich told cabinet ministers. "Given that the country is in such a tense situation, we must ensure that state institutions function . . . and cut short any action, or indeed any talk, of an early election."

In a statement on his website, however, Mr Yanukovich suggested that he would run in the elections if they were held.

"We are not afraid of elections, because we are sure of our victory," he said, reflecting confidence gained from strong poll ratings and the deep divisions among his opponents. "If the president and the opposition insist on early elections and tensions reach a high point, then we will participate."

The outlook was made even murkier yesterday by reports that the head of the constitutional court had tendered his resignation - and had it rejected - citing unbearable political pressure from unspecified sources.

Mr Yanukovich blamed the president, while Mr Yushchenko's team accused the prime minister of trying to force the head of the electoral commission to quit.

Analysts say prospects for a speedy resolution to the crisis look bleak, considering the failure of the constitutional court to deliver a verdict in any case for the last eight months.

A spokesman for the court said it had 15 days to deliver a preliminary decision on whether to consider the complaints submitted by Mr Yanukovich's allies, after which a six-judge panel would make a final ruling on whether to take the case.

"We cannot wait for the court's decision, which can come in three days or in three months," said defence minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko, an ally of Mr Yushchenko. "The president took full responsibility for the order and it must be fulfilled."

A police cordon separated chanting members of the rival factions outside Mr Yushchenko's headquarters, while thousands more of Mr Yanukovich's allies massed in Kiev's Independence Square, in a reversal of scenes witnessed during the so-called Orange Revolution of late 2004.

Then, huge rallies against vote-rigging forced Mr Yanukovich's presidential election "victory" to be overturned and Mr Yushchenko easily won the re-run, to the satisfaction of his Washington and EU allies and the anger of Russia.

However, rows and divisions in the pro-western bloc allowed Mr Yanukovich to win last year's general election and become prime minister, a post he has used to chip away at the president's power and halt Ukraine's drift from Moscow and towards the EU and Nato.

Mr Yanukovich favours close ties with the Kremlin and enjoys a power base in strongly Russian east Ukraine.