Ukraine talks to resume parliament sessions stall

KIEV - Talks aimed at resuming activity in Ukraine's parliament failed to start overnight, with political rivals blamed each other for the setback.

The leader of Ukraine's opposition Regions Party said new talks to get the assembly working - three months after an election - were scheduled for Tuesday.

Parties backing the "Orange Revolution" agreed after long talks to form a coalition, with fiery Yulia Tymoshenko restored as prime minister. But the Regions Party last week blockaded the chamber, preventing a vote to reinstate her.

The two sides had agreed to hold "round table" discussions from Monday, but the talks never got started. Liberal "orange" parties blamed the setback on the failure to appear by Regions Party leader Viktor Yanukovich.

Yanukovich said parties had agreed to hold discussions in a smaller group, with President Viktor Yushchenko in attendance.

"I have just spoken with the president. We agreed that parliament's conciliation commission will meet (on Tuesday local time) from 11am," Interfax news agency quoted him as telling reporters.

The opposition, unhappy at the prospect of being shut out of government, rejects a proposed single vote to elect Tymoshenko as premier and another backer of the revolution as speaker.

It also wants agreement from the coalition partners - the president's Our Ukraine party, Tymoshenko's bloc and the Socialists - that it will get a share of top parliamentary jobs.

- REUTERS