Yushchenko met with poll leaders (updated)

Victor Yushchenko is now holding preliminary consultations with leaders of Ukraine’s parties and blocs: Yuri Yekhanurov, Yulia Tymoshenko, Victor Yanukovych and Oleksandr Moroz. The Head of State said he intended to congratulate the winners when all ballots are counted.

 

The leaders are going to discuss results of the country’s first democratic election and then consider principles and fundamentals of a future parliamentary coalition, President's press office reported.

 

 

When meeting with Premier Yuri Yekhanurov, the Chief of Staff said he was convinced that they “must settle all issues splitting the electorate.”

 

“We must work stably and on the basis of a joint political memorandum,” he said.

 

The President added that it was important to unite around national values: “To form an alliance, we must have a system of values but not a system of posts, for postsare important but secondary.”

 

The Head of State said they all were givena unique chance to consolidate society and so all parties should formulate an action plan to ensure stability.

 

Victor Yushchenko also met with Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT) and Victor Yanukovych (Regions Party), the two leaders whose parties are leading in the polls.

 

The Head of State said today’s consultations were preliminary and added that coalition talks should be based on principles rather than posts.

 

 

They also discussed results of the election campaign. The President reiterated that Ukraine had held its first democratic elections, which is one of the prerequisites for consolidation.

 

When meeting face-to-face with Yulia Tymoshenko, the Chief of State described the 'orange' team's successful performance as a “unique achievement." He said freedom of expression was one of the fundamental values our people had defended in Kyiv’s Maidan.