Ukraine's ruling coalition underpinning the government of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has collapsed, parliamentary speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn said today.
"In line with the constitution of Ukraine . . . I announce that that the coalition in parliament has ceased its activity," Lytvyn told the assembly.
Viktor Yanukovich was recently sworn in as the country's new president.
However, the former opposition leader gave his inauguration speech to a half-empty parliament, after allies of Ms Tymoshenko boycotted the event in protest at his alleged use of fraud to beat her in this month’s election and his intention of strengthening Kiev’s ties with Moscow.
Ms Tymoshenko and former president Viktor Yushchenko weakened Russia’s traditional influence over Ukraine in favour of closer relations with Brussels and Washington, after overturning Mr Yanukovich’s fraudulent election “victory” in the Orange Revolution protests of winter 2004-5.
The speaker told Ms Tymoshenko she no longer has a majority backing her in parliament as Mr Yanukovych musters support to depose his rival and steer the legislature.
Mr Lytvyn, who also leads the smallest bloc in the Kiev-based assembly, said talks with four parliamentary parties showed Ms Tymoshenko lacks the 226 votes needed to guarantee a majority in the 450-seat chamber. Ms Tymoshenko's bloc retaliated by calling the remarks "unconstitutional."
Ms Tymoshenko has fought to hang on to power after losing the February 7th presidential run-off vote to Mr Yanukovych.
She has accused her opponent of falsifying more than one million votes, though she failed to win court backing for the allegation.
Ukraine's legislature has been in a state of limbo since October, preventing it from passing a budget needed to keep an International Monetary Fund loan in place and jeopardizing any economic resurrection.
Agencies