KIEV, October 14 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's government again refused on Tuesday to allocate election campaign funds and urged President Viktor Yushchenko to reverse a decision calling for early parliamentary polls, the UNIAN agency said.
Yushchenko dissolved the legislature and called early polls for December 7 after his ruling "orange" coalition with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko collapsed after the premier's party sided with the opposition in passing a law to cut his presidential powers.
First Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov was quoted by the agency as saying that 15 members of the cabinet voted in favor of the decision to withhold campaign funds and against new early elections, with nine voting against.
Speaking at a cabinet session before the vote, Tymoshenko reiterated that she opposed the snap election - the third since 2004 street protests brought Yushchenko to power - saying they would "lead to chaos and destruction" as the economy has been affected by the global credit crisis.
"I am calling on the president to cancel early elections and do everything to ensure the country runs smoothly," Tymoshenko said.
The government had been ordered to allocate $80 million from the state reserve for the election campaign on Monday. Tymoshenko's bloc also filed an appeal against the presidential decree with a Kiev court, which blocked preparations for the polls on Saturday.
Yushchenko responded by ordering the court's closure on Monday. The premier said her party would challenge the order.
UNIAN also said, citing a security source, that Yushchenko had ordered troops to guard the Central Election Commission, which is being blocked by Tymoshenko Bloc members trying to prevent it from declaring the start of the election campaign until the litigation process is concluded.
The developments have revived memories of last year's crisis in the ex-Soviet state, when Yushchenko ordered a troop buildup in the capital, bringing Interior Ministry troops under his direct control.
Yushchenko also ordered heightened security at the Prosecutor General's Office and other state institutions.
Andriy Kozhemyakin, a member of the premier's bloc, said the presidential administration and the Security Council were planning a coup aimed at turning Ukraine into presidential republic.
The council's official responded later on Tuesday, saying: "We are tired of refuting and commenting on endless nonsense."
Yushchenko and Tymoshenko, leaders of the 2004 "orange revolution," have drifted apart over a host of issues, including more recently over Russia's war with Georgia in August. Both are expected to run for president in 2010.
