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UKRAINE, TURKMENISTAN REACH DEBT ACCORD. Ukrainian oil and gas company Naftohaz Ukrayiny issued a press release on March 30 detailing a debt-settlement agreement signed with Turkmenistan after March 22-24 talks in Ashgabat, RIA-Novosti reported the next day. Under the agreement, an $88 million Ukrainian prepayment for Turkmen natural-gas shipments in 2006 will go toward Ukrainian debts for 2003-05 gas shipments. With Ukraine's cash debt to Turkmenistan thus paid in full, the Ukrainian side has agreed to pay a commodity debt of $68 million by August 10. DK
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT URGES DEMOCRATIC FORCES TO SIGN COALITION MEMORANDUM. Viktor Yushchenko said in a radio address to the nation on April 1 that democratic forces should sign a memorandum on a governing coalition before starting to discuss the division of government portfolios, Interfax-Ukraine reported. "I want all forces that defended democracy in Kyiv's Maydan [Independence Square in November-December 2004] to form a coalition," Yushchenko said. "I hope the political forces that will form this future alliance will be wise enough not to associate themselves with certain colors but work toward consolidating the country." The Central Election Commission (TsVK) on March 30 finished counting the votes cast in the March 26 parliamentary elections. The Party of Regions won 32.12 percent of the vote (186 seats), the Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 22.27 percent (129 seats), Our Ukraine 13.94 percent (81 seats), the Socialist Party 5.67 percent (33 seats), and the Communist Party 3.66 percent (21 seats). Election turnout was 67.7 percent. The results are not official and need to be reconfirmed after the TsVK deals with election complaints. Several Ukrainian parties have demanded a vote recount. JM
FORMER PRIME MINISTER VOWS TO FIGHT FOR UKRAINIAN PREMIERSHIP AGAIN. Yuliya Tymoshenko, head of the eponymous political bloc that came in second in the March 26 parliamentary vote, told the Moscow-based "Izvestiya" on April 3 that she is determined to fight for the post of prime minister in the new Ukrainian cabinet and will not accept any other post. "The post of parliamentary speaker does not interest me," Tymoshenko said. She added that she will switch to the opposition if the pro-presidential Our Ukraine agree on a coalition with the Party of Regions. President Viktor Yushchenko dismissed Tymoshenko from the post of prime minister in September 2005. JM
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT URGES DEMOCRATIC FORCES TO SIGN COALITION MEMORANDUM. Viktor Yushchenko said in a radio address to the nation on April 1 that democratic forces should sign a memorandum on a governing coalition before starting to discuss the division of government portfolios, Interfax-Ukraine reported. "I want all forces that defended democracy in Kyiv's Maydan [Independence Square in November-December 2004] to form a coalition," Yushchenko said. "I hope the political forces that will form this future alliance will be wise enough not to associate themselves with certain colors but work toward consolidating the country." The Central Election Commission (TsVK) on March 30 finished counting the votes cast in the March 26 parliamentary elections. The Party of Regions won 32.12 percent of the vote (186 seats), the Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 22.27 percent (129 seats), Our Ukraine 13.94 percent (81 seats), the Socialist Party 5.67 percent (33 seats), and the Communist Party 3.66 percent (21 seats). Election turnout was 67.7 percent. The results are not official and need to be reconfirmed after the TsVK deals with election complaints. Several Ukrainian parties have demanded a vote recount. JM
FORMER PRIME MINISTER VOWS TO FIGHT FOR UKRAINIAN PREMIERSHIP AGAIN. Yuliya Tymoshenko, head of the eponymous political bloc that came in second in the March 26 parliamentary vote, told the Moscow-based "Izvestiya" on April 3 that she is determined to fight for the post of prime minister in the new Ukrainian cabinet and will not accept any other post. "The post of parliamentary speaker does not interest me," Tymoshenko said. She added that she will switch to the opposition if the pro-presidential Our Ukraine agree on a coalition with the Party of Regions. President Viktor Yushchenko dismissed Tymoshenko from the post of prime minister in September 2005. JM