BACKED CANDIDATE IN THE 2004 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. "WE INSIST TALKS WITH THE OUR UKRAINE BLOC SHOULD BE HELD BY UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO TO ELIMINATE FROM THE NEGOTIATIONS ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO FAIL TO HELP, BUT TORPEDO THE CREATION OF SUCH A COALITION," TYMOSHENKO SAID. "WE LAY THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CREATING THE COALITION ON UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT. ONLY HE CAN STOP ALL INTRIGUES TODAY." YUSHCHENKO'S MISTRUST OF HIS FORMER PRIME MINISTER IS PALPABLE. HE DISMISSED HER LAST YEAR TO END MONTHS OF INFIGHTING AND ACCUSATIONS OF CORRUPTION BETWEEN FACTIONS IN HER GOVERNMENT. TYMOSHENKO'S STINT AS PRIME MINISTER WORRIED MANY INVESTORS OVER HER ATTEMPTS TO IMPOSE STATE CONTROLS OVER THE MARKET AND CALLS FOR A BROAD REVIEW OF PRIVATISATIONS SHE DESCRIBED AS DUBIOUS. YANUKOVICH INITIALLY WON THE 2004 POLL, BUT THE RESULT WAS OVERTURNED AND HE WAS HUMILIATED WHEN YUSHCHENKO SWEPT TO POWER. YANUKOVICH STAGED A COMEBACK AND HIS REGIONS PARTY CAME FIRST IN LAST MONTH'S ELECTION TO A PARLIAMENT NEWLY EMPOWERED TO FORM A GOVERNMENT. BUT IT STILL NEEDED A COALITION PARTNER. THERE HAS SINCE BEEN SPECULATION THAT MANY IN OUR UKRAINE SEE TYMOSHENKO AS UNRELIABLE AND WOULD RATHER WORK WITH THE REGIONS PARTY. LOCAL MEDIA QUOTED CURRENT PRIME MINISTER YURI YEKHANUROV AS SAYING THE TWO HAD COMMON GROUND ON THE ECONOMY. "ORANGE" PARTIES, WHICH ALSO INCLUDE THE SMALLER SOCIALISTS, CLINCHED A DEAL IN PRINCIPLE LAST WEEK ON A COALITION AND HAVE BETWEEN THEM 243 SEATS IN THE 450-MEMBER ASSEMBLY. BUT NO AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED ON THE JOB OF PRIME MINISTER. REGIONS PARTY OFFICIALS SAY THEY WOULD ENTER A COALITION ONLY IF YANUKOVICH IS NAMED PRIME MINISTER AND THEY ARE GIVEN CONTROL OVER FINANCES, THE ECONOMY AND ENERGY. PARLIAMENT, EXPECTED TO CONVENE FOR ITS FIRST SESSION IN MAY, HAS ABOUT TWO MONTHS TO APPROVE A GOVERNMENT.
