Pres Yushchenko puts his foot down about snap elections

Speaking to the media Oct. 22, Pres Yushchenko stressed that the snap parliamentary elections must take place either on the 7th or 14th of December, 2008. <P>Given Verkhovna Rada’s approval of funding for the election campaign, the Central Election Commission will be able to hold the elections on Dec. 7, Yushchenko said. </P>
<P>If the blockade of VR by BYUT continues, funding for the elections will be approved later and the snap elections will be held on Dec. 14, the incumbent stressed. </P>
<P>The CEC must inform the incumbent whether it can cope with preparations to be held on Dec. 7. If CEC say they are behind the schedule, the elections will be held on Dec. 14, the president declared. </P>
<P>Answering a question whether another, later date, for snap elections can be set, Yushchenko replied that he does not favor the snap elections taking place after Dec. 14. “The elections can be held later but it is unacceptable because the parliament and cabinet won’t start their work before Jan. 1, 2009. We must have an effective parliament and cabinet before the new year starts,” the president summed up. </P>
<P>According to Yushchenko, the snap elections are quite legal and acceptable, and their results will defuse the political crisis in Ukraine. </P>
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