KIEV, Nov. 26 – President Viktor Yanukovych said Monday he hasn’t decided yet whether to accept the resignations of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and other Cabinet ministers following their recent elections to Parliament.

Eight ministers, including Azarov, out of 18 in the government have been elected to Parliament following the October 28 elections, and their fate is being decided by the president.

“Once a candidate for the post of the prime minister has been finally defined, then the process of forming the new government will begin,” Yanukovych said speaking in Abu-Dhabi. “We are holding negotiations, we are trying to find motivations for creating a broad coalition majority.”

“The broader the coalition, the better,” Yanukovych said. “But there is no final answer to this question yet.”

The ruling Regions Party performed poorly at the election collecting 185 seats in the 450-seat Parliament, well short of a 300-seat constitutional majority target and even short of simple 226-seat majority.

None of four other parties elected to Parliament have expressed their intention to join the coalition with the Regions Party, leaving the ruling party a job of persuading 41 independent lawmakers to join the group.

But even in this case the Regions Party would control a slim and fragile majority that may collapse anytime, potentially undermining support for Yanukovych and his government.

The Regions Party has so far failed to secure sufficient support from independent lawmakers to form the majority and will continue the negotiation through Wednesday, people familiar with the issue said.

Yanukovych is not expected to accept resignation of Azarov until a clear majority is secured to approve the next prime minister, analysts said.

If Azarov’s resignation is accepted, Yanukovych will have to reshuffle the entire Cabinet. He will need to secure at least 226 votes for the next prime minister in Parliament, while he can appoint other ministers by his decrees.

Leaders of opposition groups on Friday boycotted a meeting with Azarov, a sign of looming confrontation within the legislature after it gets together for a session later this month.

Azarov, who led the Regions Party for the elections, recently submitted his resignation, followed by Deputy Prime Minister and Social Policy Minister Serhiy Tyhypko, and Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Boris Kolesnikov.

Other ministers submitting resignations include Economy Minister Petro Poroshenko, Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrynovych, Housing and Utilities Minister Anatoliy Blyzniuk, Emergency Minister Viktor Baloha and Educations Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk.

Andriy Kliuyev, the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, a top security body under the president and the chief manager of the Regions Party’s election campaign, has reportedly also submitted the resignation. (tl/ez)