KIEV, Feb. 6 – Talks between the ruling Regions Party and opposition groups aimed at unblocking the work of Parliament failed on Wednesday, deepening Ukraine’s political crisis and raising the possibility of early elections.

The constitution allows the president to dismiss Parliament if it fails to hold a session within a 30-day period.

With the opposition groups continuing to block the work of Parliament following Christmas and New Year recess, the countdown is on that may lead to the elections.

“We are not ruling out the possibility of the early elections, and we are ready for them,” Vitaliy Klichko, the leader of the opposition Udar party, told Kommersant daily.

Oleksandr Yefremov, the leader of the Regions Party in Parliament, said the party will try to avoid the elections at any cost.

“We will not let this scenario to take shape,” Yefremov said in a statement released by the Regions Party on Wednesday. “This scenario will not take place.”

Parliament is in a deadlock after opposition lawmakers have blocked the work of Parliament citing controversial practices of multiple voting by Regions Party lawmakers for their absent colleagues. The constitution directly bans lawmakers from making votes for their colleagues and the opposition groups vowed to enforce the law.

The enforcement of the law may eventually create more problems for President Viktor Yanukovych, who does not control majority in Parliament and relies on independent lawmakers for successful votes. The practices of multiple voting is used to vote for lawmakers that are absent in Parliament.

Although the Regions Party dismisses the idea of the early elections, it creates opportunity for Yanukovych to hold the new elections to try to tilt balance in his favor.

The opposition groups asked Yanukovych to veto all bills approved by Parliament over the past two months when multiple voting has been detected.

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and other key appointments in the government were made with Regions Party lawmakers resorting to the controversial multiple voting practice.

Volodymyr Rybak, the speaker of Parliament, said the legislature will probably stay blocked through the end of the week as lawmakers will seek to find a compromise.

“I think this will continue through Thursday or Friday and then lawmakers will be working in committees,” Rybak said. “Next… the majority says that Parliament will begin operation on February 19.” (tl/ez)