The situation arose after two MPs quit the coalition formed by the Yulia Tymoshenko bloc and the Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense faction, reducing the number of members to 225, with the required minimum of 226. Many politicians and political scientists said a new coalition could be formed.
Mykhailo Chechetov, who did not name any of the new coalition members, told journalists: "The case is that parliament already has a new coalition," adding that the old alliance had disintegrated. "The coalition died," he said.
Earlier representatives from the pro-Russian Party of Regions said their party was entitled to create a coalition after they gained the most votes at parliamentary elections in 2007 (34.32% of the vote).
Chechetov accused the Tymoshenko bloc of blocking parliament this week to stop any attempts of setting up a new coalition.
This week the Tymoshenko bloc blocked the Supreme Rada rostrum demanding it abolish MPs immunity, privileges and introduce an imperative mandate. But the opposition is demanding the coalition breakup be announced. As a result of the dispute, parliament has been unable to meet this week.
The leader of Our Ukraine said Friday the coalition is trying to regain the number of votes needed for decision making. "We are working on all variants to regain the number of votes that will allow us to have effective voting," Vyacheslav Kyrylenko said.
