KIEV, May 16 - Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Tuesday backtracked on her earlier plan to give the crucial parliamentary speaker post to the Socialist Party after Our Ukraine had threatened to suspend coalition talks.

The parties have been making progress in the talks, but Tymoshenko??™s controversial plan on Monday had triggered an angry reaction from Our Ukraine, which has been seeking to take the post.

???Today we received assurances from our partners that they will abstain from making such comments,??? Petro Poroshenko, one of Our Ukraine leaders, said Tuesday. ???First, a political agreement must be signed.???

The assurances may help put the talks back on track following a warning from Our Ukraine early Tuesday that Tymoshenko??™s plan has been an attempt ???to cheat.???

The focus in the talks has been shifting towards the post of the parliamentary speaker apparently amid understanding between the groups that Tymoshenko will take the job of the prime minister.

Tymoshenko??™s group collected most of votes among three potential coalition partners during the March 26 election, followed by Our Ukraine and the Socialist Party. The three parties will control 243 seats in 450-seat Parliament.

It was widely understood among politicians that if Tymoshenko takes the job of the prime minister, Our Ukraine would probably be taking the job of the speaker. Tymoshenko??™s sudden plan to give the post to the Socialist Party led to an outcry from Our Ukraine.

???Our Ukraine cannot and will not agree with this adventurous and insulting plan from Yulia Volodymyrivna [Tymoshenko],??? Roman Zvarych, the chief of Our Ukraine??™s legal department, said early Tuesday. ???We suspend our participation in the talks until these statements are denied.???

Analysts said Tymoshenko??™s plan to give the speaker post to the Socialist Party has been apparently aimed at weakening Our Ukraine, a party that Tymoshenko views as a rival.

The speaker will have a major impact on the country??™s politics as Parliament gains more powers, such as the right to appoint and to dismiss the government, following constitutional amendments introduced on Jan. 1.

Sources said Our Ukraine may seek to nominate Poroshenko, a long-time rival of Tymoshenko, to the post of the speaker, to offset Tymoshenko??™s rising influence if she gets the job of the prime minister.

A conflict between Tymoshenko, then the prime minister, and Poroshenko, then the top security advisor to the president, led to the collapse of the government in September 2005.

President Viktor Yushchenko was forced to dismiss both to diffuse the government crisis. (tl/ez)