KIEV, Aug. 18 – Tensions have been growing between President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych ahead of their upcoming meeting to discuss the government’s initiative for holding an emergency session of Parliament next month.

Yushchenko on Saturday dismissed as “a show” a recent proposal by Yanukovych to hold the emergency session to approve legislation stripping lawmakers and other officials of immunity.

But Yanukovych’s Regions Party said the session was increasingly likely to take place on Sept. 4, underscoring worsening relations between the president and the prime minister.

The holding of such a session would question the authority of Yushchenko, who has repeatedly insisted that Parliament is not capable of approving legislation following its dismissal earlier this year.

But Yanukovych recently said that lawmakers must get together in early September to approve the legislation that would strip MPs, as well as the president, of immunity.

By doing so, the Regions Party hijacks an initiative from Yushchenko’s Our Ukraine party, which has made the canceling of the immunity the No. 1 campaign issue ahead of the Sept. 30 vote.

But at the same time, such legislation can be later easily appealed even by the Regions Party itself on the grounds that Parliament had been deemed incapable.

“Everyone knows well that all decisions approved by Parliament over the past four months were illegitimate,” Yushchenko said on Saturday. “And now they call for holding the illegitimate session of Parliament and want to make it a show.”

The comment comes ahead of the meeting between Yushchenko and Yanukovych that is supposed to discuss the issue. The meeting is expected later this week, according to people close to Yanukovych.

The developments increasingly put the issue of the immunity a stumbling block for the main political parties.

Analysts said that maintaining the immunity was extremely important for a number of wealthy businessmen that support the Regions Party.

Rinat Akhmetov, the wealthiest Ukrainian whose fortunes are estimated at $20 billion, was apparently forced to spend most of the time in 2005 and early 2006 outside of Ukraine amid fears of arrest and persecution.

Akhmetov’s closest ally, Boris Kolesnikov, was arrested and kept in custody for several months in 2005 amid allegations of racketeering. Kolesnikov denied the charges and was later released by a court ruling.

Akhmetov, the key financial sponsor of the Regions Party, was able to return to Ukraine after receiving the immunity following his election as the MP from the Regions Party. Now Akhmetov, who only several times attended sessions of Parliament over the past 16 months, again runs for a seat in Parliament at the Sept. 30 snap election.

Raisa Bohatyriova, a senior member of the Regions Party and a close ally of Akhmetov, said Saturday that “growing tensions” over some “issues” in Ukraine would probably make the emergency session of Parliament increasingly likely.

“Those issues that keep getting sharper, if they violate the constitution, laws and affect either citizens or the election process, Parliament will hold the session on Sept. 4,” Bohatyriova said. (tl/ez)