Ukraine is facing the prospect of an early election after President Viktor Yushchenko's party today rejected calls to rejoin the ruling coalition.
The Speaker of Parliament said the clock had started to tick towards an election - the coalition has 10 days to sort out its differences, and political leaders have shown little enthusiasm for a snap poll.
The alliance of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's bloc and Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party had governed just nine months before collapsing on Wednesday amongst bitter recriminations.
"We are not ready for early elections, because such a scenario has not been planned," Yuri Klyuchkovsky, a senior member of Mr Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party, told Reuters.
Another Our Ukraine parliamentarian, Ksyenia Liapyna, said saving the coalition was down to Tymoshenko's party and that the chances were "50-50". Ms Tymoshenko said this week that "only a madman would think about early elections".
Ms Yushchenko, expecting a visit from US Vice-President Dick Cheney, told the Financial Timesthat a lack of desire for the third election in as many years would "cause leaders of the factions in parliament to start a constructive dialogue".
Bickering between Mr Yushchenko and Ms Tymoshenko has stalled reforms in the ex-Soviet state of 47 million. Mr Yushchenko wants to move Ukraine towards European Union and Nato military alliance membership.
But despite the lack of enthusiasm for a new election, both sides stood their ground and there were no signs of compromise.
Mr Yushchenko has accused Ms Tymoshenko of ganging up with the Regions party of former prime minister Viktor Yanukovich and running a "prime-ministerial dictatorship" after they mustered a large majority to pass laws reducing his powers.
Mr Yushchenko and his party have also accused her of failing to support Georgia in its war against Russia. The president, wary of Moscow flexing its muscles in the former Soviet Union, demonstrated his support by travelling to Tbilisi while war continued last month.
Reuters