KIEV, Jan. 22 – Ukrainian opposition leaders on Wednesday gave President Viktor Yanukovych 24 hours to accept a plan for early presidential election or to face a new wave of confrontation.

Vitaliy Klitshcko, the leader of Udar party, and two other opposition leaders met Yanukovych on Wednesday after the situation in Kiev had escalated resulting in five deaths among protesters.

"You, the president, are able to solve this problem. The early election will change the situation without blood. Hear the people out. Do not ignore them,” Klitshcko said at a press conference after the talks.

"If you do not hear people, they will do everything to make you hear,” Klitshcko said. "Tomorrow we will go on the offensive. There is no other way."

Arseniy Yatseniuk, the leader of the Batkivshchyna party, agreed.

"We have two choices,” Yatseniuk said. “The first one is to stop bloodshed. We have 24 hours left for this.”

“If not, then let me tell you: I am not going to live with shame,” Yatseniuk said. “Tomorrow we will go ahead. If [I get] a bullet in the forehead then the bullet head-on it is. At least this will be honest and fair.”

The situation escalated on Wednesday after four protesters died from gunshot wounds, the first fatalities since the anti-government protests flared up in late November over Yanukovych’s decision to pull out of a landmark treaty with the EU.

Instead, Yanukovych negotiated a huge bailout package from Russia in exchange for closer integration between the two countries.

At the talks on Wednesday Yanukovych refused to discuss his resignation, but indicated that he is ready to discuss resignation of the government led by Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.

In this case, Yanukovych said, the opposition leaders will have to sit down and talks with the Regions Party to secure its support, according to Klitshcko.

Yanukovych also indicated that the compromise may include cancelling controversial legislation that has been turning Ukraine into Belarus-style dictatorship.

The crisis erupted in November after Yanukovych's decision to freeze ties with the European Union and seek a huge bailout from Russia. The decision sparked protests, which increased in size and determination after police twice violently dispersed demonstrators.

But anger rose substantially after Yanukovych last week signed an array of laws severely limiting protests and banning the wearing of helmets and gas masks.

Many of Sunday's demonstrators wore hardhats and masks in defiance of the new laws. They set several police buses on fire and some chased and beat officers. (tl/ez)