President predicts effective work of parliament

President Victor Yushchenko says parliamentarians must all contribute to a political consensus. He believes the Presidential Political Council, which consists of leaders of parliamentary parties, will also help build effective cooperation.

Following his meeting with Yulia Tymoshenko, Roman Bezsmertny and Oleksandr Moroz, the President reiterated that he would  cooperate with both the parliamentary majority and opposition.

“Speaking about political reconciliation, I find it vital to establish a dialogue within the Verkhovna Rada. I would like to repeat that it is really important to distribute parliamentary committees and posts fairly to benefit all the parties,” he said, President's press office reported.

The Head of State said “to demonstrate political goodwill and constructive work” parliamentarians should give the opposition some parliamentary committees and institutions enabling them to monitor the majority.

“I think this will help us find initial compromises in the Verkhovna Rada,” he said.

The President also expressed hope that the first meeting of the Presidential Political Council, as well as the first meeting of the Regions Council involving regional officials and politicians, would be held soon.

“We aim to invent a formula of understanding,” he said.

Speaking about today’s meeting with the three majority leaders, Mr. Yushchenko said they had considered “ways to build relations within the President-Parliament-Cabinet triangle.”

“We discussed the immensely constructive role of the majority in the functioning of the Verkhovna Rada,” he said.

“I would like to particularly emphasize that Ukraine needs a Ukrainian patriotic government like never before. It must not undermine the fragile political stability with speculative and controversial statements,” he opined.

The President and the coalition leaders also agreed that it was important to meticulously observe and implement a coalition agreement.

“We agreed that mutual understanding can form a basis for a responsible Ukrainian government,” he said, urging his partners to learn lessons from their painstaking negotiations. “If we learn lessons of the past, our government will be responsible.”