Ukrainian President Sets Conditions To End Standoff

"Is the president ready to suspend the decree [dissolving parliament and calling early elections]?" he said. "I want to state firmly that I am, if there is a package of political compromises formulated for a definite, short period of time."

Yushchenko called on legislators to enact "10 or 12 changes" to laws governing parliamentary procedure and regulations. Yushchenko said the changes would prevent "any revisions of election results by individual parliament members [rather than factions] joining a majority coalition."

Yushchenko disbanded parliament on April 2 and called new elections for May 27. Yushchenko justified the move by accusing Yanukovych's ruling coalition of illegally luring lawmakers away from the opposition in an effort to secure a veto-proof majority in parliament.

Yanukovych called the dissolution of parliament illegal. The Constitutional Court is currently considering the case.

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