Meeting between Yanukovych and Yushchenko to discuss political crisis

(20 Apr 2007) SHOTLIST
+++AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING++
1. Wide of supporters of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko
2. Presidential office doors
3. Yushchenko taking seat for news conference
4. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine:
"I can firmly state that I am ready to stop, temporarily, the action of the decree (on the dissolution of parliament) under the condition that within this short time a package of political compromises will be formed. It would include all measures which will in the future prevent the brutal formation of the constitutional majority (in parliament) as happened last March."
5. Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych talking at table +++MUTE++
6. Mid of Yushchenko talking at table ++MUTE++
7. Yanukovych talking ++MUTE++
8. Cameraman
9. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Viktor Yanukovych, Prime Minister of Ukraine:
"Our main goal is not to permit in our country legal nihilism, not to use law-enforcement institutions and judicial power to solve political and legal conflict."
10. Wide of Cabinet session
11. Wide exterior of Cabinet of ministers office
STORYLINE:
Crisis talks between the president and prime minister of Ukraine ended on Friday with no immediate breakthrough.
After his meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, President Viktor Yushchenko told journalists that he was ready to suspend his April 2 decree dissolving parliament, provided lawmakers pledged to quickly adopt a number of laws governing how the parliamentary majority could be formed and how power was divided in the ex-Soviet republic.
He added that he continued to believe early elections were essential to resolving the crisis.
Ukraine has been locked in political paralysis since the president signed the April 2 decree.
Yanukovych and his majority in parliament have ignored the decree, calling it unconstitutional.
They have challenged it before the Constitutional Court, which began hearings on Tuesday.
Both Yushchenko and Yanukovych have pledged to follow the court's ruling, but pressure is building on both men to find a political settlement.
Yushchenko has defended his dissolution order, saying it was necessary to stop Yanukovych from usurping power.
He acted after 11 lawmakers from pro-presidential factions defected to the premier's parliamentary majority, bringing it closer to the 3-hundred vote super majority it needs to override presidential vetoes.
Yushchenko said on Friday that one of his main demands was that parliament adopt a law that would prevent a coalition from being formed on the basis of lawmakers, who switch allegiance after being elected.
He also called for revising the law on the Cabinet and making changes to electoral legislation.
Yushchenko said the Constitution should be revised and brought to voters for approval in a referendum.
After the meeting, Yanukovych opened his Cabinet session, telling his ministers that he and the president had "exchanged opinions".
He said the main goal was to not allow "legal nihilism".
"Not to use law-enforcement institutions and judicial power to solve political and legal conflict," he added.
The two rivals have held numerous face-to-face meetings but so far have failed to break the deadlock.
During separate trips to western Europe this week by Yushchenko and Yanukovych, European officials expressed concern over the crisis and urged both to resolve it by legal means.
Thousands of Yanukovych's supporters - waving his party's blue flags - filled Kiev's Independence Square on Friday to listen to party speeches against the dissolution of parliament and early elections.

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