KIEV, July 4 – Ukraine quickly plunged into political crisis Wednesday, with Parliamentary Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn offering his resignation following violent clashes between police and opposition protesters over language legislation approved on Tuesday.

President Viktor Yanukovych cancelled his long planned annual press conference and called an emergency meeting with leaders of political groups to discuss among other things the possibility of early parliamentary elections.

“Unless the work of Parliament is stabilized, we have to switch to the process of early parliamentary elections,” Yanukovych told the leaders, his press service reported.

The developments underscore a rapid escalation of tensions after Parliament, led by Yanukovych’s Regions Party, voted to approve the legislation upgrading the status of Russian language in Ukraine.

Opposition groups immediately rejected the legislation, which they believe would diminish the role of the Ukrainian language and would ultimately weaken the country, potentially throwing it towards closer integration with Russia.

Hundreds of protesters gathered late Tuesday in front of the Ukrainian House, a public building in downtown Kiev that was supposed to host Yanukovych’s press conference on Wednesday.

The protesters, joined by all major opposition leaders, stayed alert overnight in expectation of an attack from riot police to clear the venue for Yanukovych.

Police has tried repeatedly, including on Wednesday, to clear the plaza in front of the venue from the protesters, but had failed in its efforts.

Both, riot police and the protesters were seen using used tear gas cans and sticks in the clash, the first time that street protesters in Ukraine have deployed the chemical in clashes with the authorities.

“Yanukovych’s so-called stability has finally collapsed,” Arseniy Yatseniuk, the leader of the largest opposition party Batkivshchyna, said. “There is no more the myth about the stability. The weak president, unfinished Parliament, missing state institutions and destroyed constitution.”

“The authoritarian regime has led to the beginning of the end to this rule,” Yatseniuk said.

“Ukraine must have early Parliamentary and presidential elections,” Yatseniuk said. “If the president finds himself courageous enough to admit that he has led Ukraine to the political crisis and to political isolation, he must declare early parliamentary and presidential elections.”

Ukraine is due to hold the next parliamentary elections in October, and the next presidential election in March 2015.

Responding to the crisis, the parliamentary majority, led by the Regions Party, voted to approve new legislation that makes it easier to appoint and to dismiss the speaker of Parliament.

But approval of the legislation, however, needs a signature of Lytvyn before it is signed by Yanukovych to come into effect.

Without this legislation, the Regions Party would need to have at least 300 votes to appoint the next speaker of Parliament, which falls short of the 255 seats they currently controls. (tl/ez)