Ukraine rivals fail to resolve stalemate

President Leonid Kuchma (R) shakes hand opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko (L) while Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich looks on after Kuchma read a statement after the two presidential rivals agreed to form a working group to resolve the standoff over last weekend's contested election after three-hour closed-door talks in Kiev yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Outgoing President Leonid Kuchma presided at the meeting with Yushchenko, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich and a delegation of key European envoys, and he said a working group had been established to find a solution to the crisis over who will succeed him. The group was expected to begin meeting as soon as Saturday.

The Kremlin-backed Yanukovych was declared the winner of Sunday's election but cannot be inaugurated pending hearing of an appeal to the Supreme Court filed by the Yushchenko camp.

President Bush said from his vacation home in Crawford, Texas, that the world "is watching very closely" and he hoped the crisis would be "resolved in a way that brings credit and confidence to the Ukrainian government." The United States and European Union have said they cannot accept the results of the runoff election, warning of "consequences" of Ukraine's relations with the West if the current outcome stands.

Hundreds of thousands of Yushchenko's supporters have massed in the streets since Sunday to protest what they and Western nations have called seriously flawed balloting.

Yushchenko did not give details of what was discussed in the talks at the ornate Mariinsky presidential palace, but he told tens of thousands of his supporters in Independence Square shortly afterward that his side was insisting on a rerun of the voting, which he said he wanted to be held Dec. 12 under the observation of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Yushchenko did not specify in his statement to the crowd, but he appeared to be calling for a new nationwide vote, rather than only in some areas. In recent days, speculation had been high that a new vote in only some districts could be acceptable primarily districts in Yanukovych stronghold regions where observers said turnout figures appeared to be wildly inflated.

AFP adds: Ukraine's parliament speaker yesterday proposed declaring results of a disputed presidential election invalid, saying it was the most realistic solution to the country's political crisis which threatened a "revolutionary situation".

"The most realistic political solution, taking into account the accusations by both sides of massive fraud, is to declare the election not valid because it is impossible to establish the real result," said speaker Volodymyr Litvin during an emergency session.