KIEV, Dec. 7 ??“ The confrontation between President Viktor Yushchenko and the government was set to accelerate after the justice ministry had Thursday challenged the president over his decree re-assuring Boris Tarasiuk??™s authority as the foreign minister.

The justice ministry also suggested the president to cancel decree allowing him to clear appointments to all senior positions at the internal affairs, the foreign and defense ministries.

Yushchenko, a pro-Western leader, has been taking steps to maintain control over Ukraine??™s foreign and defense policies after the pro-Russian government coalition had voted last week to dismiss Tarasiuk from the post.

The coalition also dismissed Internal Affairs Minister Yuriy Lutsenko, an ally of Yushchenko, appointing Vasyl Tsushko, a Socialist leader, to the post.

The latest development suggests that the confrontation between Yushchenko and the government has been building up, a development that could potentially lead to a constitutional crisis.

???The justice ministry believes it??™s necessary to suggest the president to cancel the decree re-assuring Tarasiuk??™s duties as the foreign minister,??? the justice ministry said in a statement.

Parliament, led by the pro-government coalition, dismissed Tarasiuk last week, but Tarasiuk had appealed the dismissal at a Kiev district court on Monday. The court suspended Parliament??™s resolution, while Yushchenko on Tuesday issued the decree re-assuring Tarasiuk??™s authority as the minister.

Tarasiuk is an active advocate of Ukraine??™s pro-Western foreign policy and he has been working hard over the past two years to speed up the country??™s accession to NATO. This has been irritating Russia, Ukraine??™s dominant supplier of natural gas and crude oil, which sees NATO as a military threat.

Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych seeks to slow down or to postpone indefinitely the accession to NATO in exchange for better natural gas supply deal from Russian, analysts said.

The government refused to implement Yushchenko??™s decree on Wednesday when Taraisuk was barred by security guards from joining a meeting at the Cabinet of Ministers. Tarasiuk appealed to the General Prosecutor Office.

The looming constitutional crisis comes after controversial amendments to the constitution have been enacted earlier this year shifting many powers from the president to the prime minister.

The amendments were part of a compromise to allow free presidential election in December 2004, which had been eventually won by Yushchenko after he had defeated Yanukovych. (rl/ez)