UKRAINE: Ukraine's parliament, all but shut during three months of fruitless coalition talks, plunged into chaos yesterday with backers of the "Orange Revolution" storming the rostrum and sounding sirens to halt debate.
The chamber opened its sitting by endorsing a coalition government headed by the Regions Party of Viktor Yanukovich, the man humiliated by pro-western president Viktor Yushchenko in the "Orange Revolution".
But speaker Oleksander Moroz's attempt to continue debate collapsed when members of "orange" groups surged forward to the rostrum, scuffling with rivals from the Regions Party.
"Specific people want to take power at any price," Mr Moroz shouted, his voice barely audible above the sirens. "This is an attempt to stop parliament working."
Deputies milled about the chamber and "orange" members refused to address the chamber. Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the revolution's most fiery advocate, stood in an aisle, smiling broadly.
"You still have the chance to join us and do what you can to resolve this crisis," Evhen Kushnaryov, one of Mr Yanukovich's lieutenants, said in an appeal to the protesting liberals.
The new coalition later unanimously put forward Mr Yanukovich as its candidate for prime minister. Embracing socialists and communists, it holds 238 seats in the 450-seat chamber after March's inconclusive parliamentary election.
The coalition survived its first vote on setting up 24 commissions, but mustered 227 votes - only one more than needed - exposing its fragile nature.
Mr Yanukovich was prime minister when he lost the 2004 presidential race to Mr Yushchenko after weeks of street protests.
He put together his grouping last week after a last-minute defection by Mr Moroz and his socialists wrecked a bid to build a coalition of "orange" parties behind the revolution.
Two remaining "orange" parties - Ms Tymoshenko's bloc and the president's Our Ukraine Party - appeared to be patching up bitter differences in seeking a new election.
Ms Tymoshenko dismissed the Yanukovich coalition as a "Molotov cocktail". "We will be preparing for an early election," she told reporters.