Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma had a meeting on Monday evening with
Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski and Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus,
both acting as mediators in the negotiations between Ukrainian authorities and
oppositionists on settling the political turmoil in Ukraine, the Itar-Tass news
agency reported.
The sides agreed that solutions to the crisis must be sought in the decisions
of previous roundtable conferences and that those decisions must be honored,
Kuchma's press service said.
On Dec. 1, a joint statement on settling the Ukrainian crisis was issued by
President Kuchma, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, leading oppositionist Viktor
Yushchenko and international mediators.
They agreed, in part, to set up a workgroup of law experts for urgent
analysis and submitting of proposals on how to complete the election process.
In that statement they also agreed to a political reform package, including
an amended law on presidential elections and changes in the Ukrainian
Constitution.
On Dec. 3, the Chamber for Civil Lawsuits of the Supreme Court annulled the
results of Nov. 21 voting and issued a verdict that a repeat election be held on
Dec. 26.
However, the oppositionists violated these agreements Saturday, refusing to
honor the terms of those agreements.
According to Interfax news agency, Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich
who will rival opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko in a repeat presidential
run-off, is going to take a vacation to conduct his election campaign.
Yanukovich voiced this decision in an interview with Russia's NTV television
on Monday evening.
He said that Deputy Taras Chornovil had been appointed new head of his
election headquarters.
