KIEV, Aug. 24 – President Viktor Yanukovych on Tuesday called for amending the constitution to strengthen his powers in order to “stabilize” Ukraine’s political system and promote economic reforms.

He said the amendments must be approved “as soon as possible.”

“I see Ukraine as a state with a stable political system and I am ready to suggest its formula to the society,” Yanukovyc said speaking in downtown Kiev on the occasion of Independence Day.

“This is a strong president that has practical levers of coordinating control over key issues of reforms and strategic course of the country,” Yanukovych said.

He said the amendments will also create a Parliament that will have a “strong coalition” and “influential opposition,” in addition to an “independent court system.”

“Such political system must start working as soon as possible, and for that we all have to reform the constitution thoroughly,” Yanukovych said.

Meanwhile, Yulia Tymoshenko, the leader of the largest opposition group in Parliament, said Tuesday the amendments may go further than what Yanukovych has declared, including canceling the general election that is due in 2012 and extending the presidential term to seven years from five.

“Yanukovych’s future plans are simple,” Tymoshenko said. “They plan to cancel the 2012 election, and to reschedule it to 2015.”

“Why holding the election in the country they want to see as [populated] by slaves?” Tymoshenko said.

“Yanukovych set a task to amend the constitution and to extend the presidential term from five to seven years,” Tymoshenko said without citing a source for the information. “That means they don’t want to see the presidential election in 2015.”

Ukraine curbed presidential powers in favor of parliament through constitutional amendments introduced in 2004 when pro-Western politician Viktor Yushchenko came to power after the "Orange Revolution" street demonstrations.

The curbs, promoted by Yanukovich's supporters at the time, limited Yushchenko's effectiveness as president and set up confrontation with parliament and then prime minister Tymoshenko. The dispute ultimately contributed to Yushchenko’s downfall in an election earlier this year.

Yanukovych supporters now say his hand should be strengthened so he can push through unpopular reforms such as raising household gas prices and slimming down the bloated pension system.

Many of the reforms have been undertaken at the behest of the International Monetary Fund which has extended a new $15 billion stand-by arrangement to Ukraine to help stabilise its economy. (nr/rt/ez)