KIEV, Dec. 10 – Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was approved as the leader of the Regions Party group in Parliament on Monday and will probably become the leader of opposition in Ukraine, lawmakers said.

The move shows the Regions Party has stopped its efforts to create a grand coalition with Our Ukraine-People’s Self-defense, President Viktor Yushchenko’s party, clearing the way for Yulia Tymoshenko’s coalition to take over the government.