Ukraine PM calls for broad governmental coalition

Kiev, Oct 30 (IANS/EFE) Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has called for a broad government coalition, except the opposition bloc of former allies of ousted president Viktor Yanukovych.

The leader of the Popular Front, the most voted party in last Sunday's parliamentary elections, said Wednesday his party and the bloc of President Petro Poroshenko, which came second, will be at the core of the coalition.

The prime minister told a press conference "public consultations" would be held with three other groups -- the Batkivshchyna party, Self-Help party and the Radical party led by Oleg Lyashko.

The Opposition Bloc, which won nearly 10 percent of the vote and has 30 seats in the Rada, was sidelined from the call of the public consultations.

Sunday's polls were boycotted by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine who have called their own elections Nov 2.

The region has been the scene of fierce fighting since last May between the separatists and Ukrainian government forces.

The conflict broke out after the ouster of pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych last February in the wake of massive protests at his decision to sign a trade deal with Russia instead of the European Union.

Ukraine is divided between a majority pro-European population in the west and the one living in the east, mostly of Russian origin.

--IANS/EFE

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