Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko Wednesday threatened to dissolve parliament and call early elections following the collapse of the country's ruling pro-Western coalition.
"I will use my right to dissolve parliament and decree early elections" if a new coalition isn't formed within 30 days, Yushchenko said in a televised speech.
Viktor Yushchenko said that a "coup" was underway in the country's parliament, following the adoption of new laws trimming the powers of the presidency.
"A political and constitutional coup d'etat has started in the parliament," Yushchenko said in a televised speech after Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko blamed him for the collapse of the ruling coalition in parliament. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said that the country's pro-Western ruling coalition had been "destroyed," but added the government would stay in place for now, Interfax news agency reported.
"I regret that the president (Viktor Yushchenko) is behaving in such an irresponsible way. The coalition has been destroyed on his request," Tymoshenko was quoted as saying.