KIEV, Jan. 29 ??“ Talks are underway between President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych to try to avert the constitutional crisis that may be caused by the recently approved law reducing powers of the president.

Iryna Vannikova, the spokeswoman for Yushchenko, said the parties seek ???to find a compromise??? over the controversial law that had been vetoed by the president two weeks ago. She disclosed no other details.

However, there were signs that little progress had been made at the talks as both parties have been stepping up pressure on each other to try to secure greater powers.

The law, known as the law on the Cabinet of Ministers, may lead to a situation when the pro-government coalition nominates foreign and defense ministers thus reducing the presidential powers to nominate both figures.

Yushchenko used an editorial error made by the office of Parliament Speaker Oleksandr Moroz to veto the law two weeks ago. The move was later disputed by the pro-government coalition, which had pledged to publish it without Yushchenko??™s signature to make sure it takes effect. Yushchenko responded that he would appeal the law in the Constitutional Court.

Meanwhile, as the talks continue the pro-government coalition on Monday has increased pressure on the president by posting its version of the law on Parliament??™s official Website.

Although the move has no legal impact, it means the coalition is determined to press ahead with the law despite Yushchenko??™s objections.

???This shows that the coalition has been increasing pressure on the president,??? Volodymyr Lytvyn, a former speaker of Parliament, said in an interview with UT-1 television on Monday.

The law must be published in Parliament??™s and the government??™s official newspapers, Holos Ukrayiny and Uriadoviy Kurier, in order to take effect. The newspapers went to presses late Monday without running the law, according to newspaper editors.

Meanwhile, Yushchenko also increased pressure on the coalition by threatening to postpone a conciliatory roundtable meeting that had been scheduled on Feb. 14.

Yushchenko demanded the coalition to scrap plans to draft and to approve the law on the president and other legislation, such as a law canceling the post of the top security advisor to the president, which would further undermine the presidential authority.

???The president does not issue an ultimatum. He is ready for compromises and talks, but there is a certain limit,??? Vannikova said.

Yushchenko, Moroz and Yanukovych met in early January and agreed to cooperate while drafting the law on the Cabinet of Ministers. However, this agreement was undermined by Yanukovych and Moroz two days later when they had orchestrated the approval of the law that reduces presidential powers.

Coalition members later also suggested that they would work hard on drafting and approving the law on the president and other legislation de-facto securing greater powers for the government.

The coalition could approve the legislation by overriding by presidential vetoes due to cooperation with opposition lawmakers loyal to former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Tymoshenko has been attacking Yushchenko persistently over the past two months for his refusal to dismiss Parliament and to call early election. (tl/ez)