Ukrainian president dissolves parliament

KIEV: Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko on Wednesday announced the dissolution of parliament following the collapse last month of the country's pro-Western coalition government.

"In conformity with the Ukrainian constitution, I halt the parliament's powers and announce parliamentary elections," Yushchenko said in a televised address to the nation.

Yushchenko did not specify the date for the elections, which according to the constitution must be held within 60 days of the parliament's dissolution.

The government collapsed in September after Yushchenko's party pulled out in protest at Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's decision to support a bid by the pro-Russian opposition to reduce the president's powers.

Tensions between Yushchenko and Tymoshenko, likely rivals at the next presidential elections set for late 2009 or early 2010, deepened further during the Russo-Georgian conflict in August, with Yushchenko supporting Tbilisi and charging Tymoshenko with "treason" for her neutral stance.

"I am deeply convinced that it was human ambition that destroyed the democratic coalition -- one person's ambition, lust for power, differences in values and putting personal interests ahead of national ones," Yushchenko said, referring to Tymoshenko, in his televised speech.

The pro-Western leader pulled his party from the ruling coalition on September 3, while parliament officially announced its collapse on September 16.

Under Ukraine's constitution, the president can dissolve parliament if a new government is not formed within 30 days of the previous one collapsing.