KIEV, Sept. 4 – Former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, asked Thursday to confirm reports of his possible power sharing deal with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, said he was ready to accept a “responsible” state post.

The report in the daily Segodnia, known for its close ties to Yanukovych’s Regions Party, said that he may eventually accept the post of the president, leaving Tymoshenko as the prime minister.

“I have great experience of working with people at various levels. So, I see no obstacles at all,” Yanukovych said when asked to comment on the report in the newspaper.

“I worked with Viktor Yushchenko. I was the prime minister, while he was the president,” Yanukovych said. “When we are talking about the interests of the state, I have only one position: It’s to protect the interests of the country.”

The comment suggests that Tymoshenko may have been increasingly seeking to create the coalition with Yanukovych, a pro-Russian figure, to avoid possible demission of Parliament by President Viktor Yushchenko.

Tymoshenko’s coalition with Yushchneko, a pro-Western leader, collapsed when the prime minister had refused to condemn Russia for its military incursion into Georgia, an ally of Ukraine, last month.

Instead, Tymoshenko on Tuesday joined forces with Yanukovych to approve a barrage of bills that undermine powers of the president and set a stage for changing Ukraine’s pro-Western foreign policy course.

Tymoshenko has 40 days to create the new coalition or face the dismissal of Parliament. She has earlier indicated that she does not favor holding an early election.

Tymoshenko on Wednesday pledged to hold consultations with all political groups to create “a system of consolidation.” She also praised her alliance with the Regions Party and the Communist Party, the two pro-Russian groups, for overwhelmingly approving legislation over the past three days.

Segodnia, citing a person in the Regions Party, reported Thursday that Tymoshenko and Yanukovych agreed in principle to the power sharing deal.

“Here is the strategy: Yanukovych is the president, Tymoshenko is the prime minister,” a person told the newspaper. “As a result, the prime minister will be in charge of the executive branch, while the president will be in charge of the foreign policy and the army.”

In the short term, Tymoshenko and the Regions Party will establish a “stabilization” coalition to avoid the dismissal of Parliament, with Tymoshenko keeping the prime minister post, while Yanukovych getting the post of the speaker of Parliament.

Andriy Kliuyev, a senior member of the Regions Party, will be appointed the first deputy prime minister, and the Regions Party will have 50% plus one seat in the Cabinet. “That’s the plan,” the person said.

A person at the Tymoshenko group, however, said there were some concerns that the plan may backfire against Tymoshenko by lowering her publish support. Tymoshenko’s rating soared over the past three years due to her persistent refusal to work with the Regions Party.

Volodymyr Felenko, the head of the Penta, a Kiev-based think-tank, said the deal is very risky for Yanukovych and may eliminate his political future, also leading to the collapse of the Regions Party.

“If the Regions party people go for this trick, they will be stupid,” Fesenko said. “This will be the end for the Regions Party and for Yanukovych.” (tl/ez)