Ukrainian president signs election amendments ahead of Feb. 7 runoff
KIEV. February 4. KAZINFORM. Ukraine's president signed on Thursday amendments to election laws just days ahead of the February 7 presidential runoff, the presidential website said; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
Prime Minister and presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko slammed the amendments, which were pushed through parliament on Wednesday by her rival Viktor Yanukovych's party, saying they "open the way to election fraud."
Tymoshenko pledged earlier on Thursday to use any means to ensure "a fair election," and threatened to stage mass rallies, reviving memories of the 2004 pro-Western "orange revolution" protests that swept President Viktor Yushchenko to power.
Yanukovych said the requirement for the two-thirds quorum should be scrapped as Tymoshenko's bloc could disrupt the runoff by telling representatives not to attend certain polling stations.
The amendments, which triggered a clash between the rival groups in the Supreme Rada yesterday, need to be published in a government newspaper to become law.
Tymoshenko and Yanukovych face each other in Sunday's runoff after a campaign marred my mutual accusations and insults; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version.