KIEV, April 4 ??“ Tensions between President Viktor Yushchenko and Parliament increased on Tuesday after lawmakers had refused to let judges assume their duties at the Constitutional Court.

A group of opposition lawmakers, led by the Regions Party, resorted to blocking the session before Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn was due to announce the procedure.

In response, Yushchenko canceled his scheduled visit and address to Parliament on what was supposed to be the last session in before newly elected lawmakers assume their duties next month.

The development leaves the Constitutional Court incapable of ruling on any potential dispute between the president and the legislature during a particularly sensitive time as groups seek to form a new government.

It also shows a high degree of distrust between various groups in Parliament and the president that may potentially postpone creation of a government coalition following the March 26 election.

???For the first time in Ukraine??™s history we entered parliamentary election without a functioning Constitutional Court,??? Lilia Hryhorovych, a member of Yushchenko??™s Our Ukraine, said.

Regions Party and other lawmakers prefer do not want to see the court functioning amid concerns that Yushchenko would appeal controversial amendments to the constitution that had reduced his powers on Jan. 1.

The lawmakers have been refusing to swear in the judges for more than three months forcing Yushchenko to promise that he will not file any appeals to the court before the March 26 election.

However, the continued conflict shows the distrust between Yushchenko and the lawmakers continues and will probably dominate the next Parliament, where the Regions Party will have the largest group.

What could be even more important, the Socialist Party, a part of the pro-government coalition, also accused the president??™s loyalists of attempts to cancel the amendments.

Oleksandr Moroz, the leader of the Socialist Party, on Monday rejected a plan for a coalition that had been suggested by Our Ukraine. On Tuesday, Moroz continued his attack on Our Ukraine accusing the group of an attempt to buy time in order to eventually cancel the constitutional amendments.

???This is done to block the political reform and to return the society and the state to dictatorship,??? Moroz said, adding that Parliament should not let judges assume duties at the Constitutional Court.

Talks between Our Ukraine, the Socialist Party and a group led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko were in a deadlock amid Yushchenko??™s refusal to see Tymoshenko as the prime minister.

Yushchenko repeatedly said that Tymoshenko??™s populist economic policy during her time as the prime minister last year, such as calls to re-privatize 3,000 businesses, led to a major economic slowdown.

However, Yushchenko??™s Our Ukraine has to join forces with the Tymoshenko group and the Socialist Party, or with the Regions Party in order to create a parliamentary majority to form the next government.

Meanwhile, Parliament will potentially have an opportunity to let the judges assume their duties at the Constitutional Court on April 26, the date when lawmakers will now have their last session, according to Parliamentary Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn. (tl/ez)