KIEV, April 17 ??“ Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who seeks to regain the post following the March 26 election, on Monday pledged to pursue liberal economic policies and abandon her earlier course on re-privatization.

Tymoshenko addressed the American Chamber of Commerce, a powerful business lobby group uniting foreign and domestic companies, to assure investors that her government would support economic policy of President Viktor Yushchenko.

???We will not violate development of market relations and will never resort to manually managing the economy,??? Tymoshenko said. ???Although sometimes I do want to choke some [businesses], but I think everything will be OK.???

Tymoshenko seeks to win support from foreign investors after her re-privatization policy in 2005, mostly aimed against former President Leonid Kuchma??™s loyalists, scared investors and led to a major economic slowdown.

Yushchenko fired Tymoshenko in September 2005 after her eight months in office and criticized her ways of handling the economy, including the re-privatization drive and attempts to restrict prices on gasoline and meat.

But Tymoshenko??™s party performed strongly at the election last month collecting more votes than Yushchenko??™s Our Ukraine party that may lead to a coalition with Tymoshenko regaining the post.

???I am ready to make sure that our team becomes monolithic and that there are no doubts among the investors that the policy will be consistent with economic reforms,??? Tymoshenko said.

Ukraine??™s economic expansion slowed down to 2.6% on the year in 2005 from 12.1% growth in 2004 after most of domestic tycoons had suspended capital investments amid fears that their businesses will be returned to the state.

Tymoshenko, shortly after assuming the post of the prime minister in February 2005, vowed to re-privatize 3,000 businesses that had been apparently illegally privatized by Kuchma allies. Now, Tymoshenko promised to be more moderate.

???I will try not to make any mistakes,??? Tymoshenko said. ???I will be acting more cautiously.???

The assurances come as talks over the coalition have suffered a setback Friday after Our Ukraine had refused to support a clause in an agreement letting Tymoshenko assume the post of the prime minister.

Tymoshenko??™s party has been holding an emergency meeting earlier Monday seeking ways of reacting to Our Ukraine??™s move, but no decision had been announced.

Tymoshenko urged Yushchenko to put pressure on Our Ukraine in order to speed up the creation of the coalition.

???We believe that Our Ukraine must sign the coalition agreement as soon as possible and not to delay the process,??? Tymoshenko said. ???Otherwise, this will be the responsibility of the president and the responsibility of Our Ukraine before the society.??? (tl/ez)