Ukrainian parliament eases rules for forming majority coalition

On Wednesday, parliament dismissed the government led by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who narrowly lost in last month's presidential election to Viktor Yanukovych. But the new president will need to struggle to put together a new parliamentary coalition needed to appoint a new premier and push through his economic and social plans.

The new law will allow independent deputies to take part in forming a majority coalition, so far a privilege of parliamentary factions. This will give extra chances for Yanukovych to achieve the goal without calling fresh parliamentary elections.

Valeriy Bondyk, a deputy from Yanukovych's party and a co-author of the draft, defended it in parliament saying that a mandate given to independent deputies to voters is as strong as the one given to parliamentary factions.

Altogether 229 deputies of the 450-strong legislature backed the bill in the first reading in a new boost for Yanukovych who managed on Wednesday to rally a majority in a vote of no-confidence in Tymoshenko's government, Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version.