KIEV, Dec. 4 – President Viktor Yushchenko warned Thursday he would not let political groups approve a constitutional amendment that allows lawmakers to elect the next president in Parliament, calling the amendment a “huge threat” to democracy.

The comment is apparently aimed at foiling plans by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and opposition Regions Party leader Viktor Yanukovych to create a coalition, in which the amendment is said to be a key part of the deal.

“This is not a simple challenge to the Ukrainian democracy,” Yushchenko said at a press conference. “This is a huge threat to the Ukrainian democracy.”

Tymoshenko and Yanukovych have made progress in discussions over a deal to create the coalition, according to people familiar with the talks.

The deal apparently calls for leaving Tymoshenko as the prime minister through 2012, and electing Yanukovych – in Parliament - as the president of Ukraine shortly after the amendment is approved next year, the people said.

“The election of the president by Parliament - these are things that destroy the Ukrainian democracy and would throw Ukraine many years back,” Yushchenko said. “As the president, I will not let this happen.”

Yushchenko was elected president by a popular vote in December 2004 following the Orange Revolution, a popular uprising against election fraud, which had been aimed at helping Yanukovych, a pro-Russian figure, to win the presidency.

The coalition between Tymoshenko and Yanukovych would challenge Yushchenko by seeking to change Ukraine’s foreign policy by postponing the country’s accession to NATO.

The coalition is backed by the Kremlin as Moscow has apparently promised to lower prices of natural gas for Ukraine next year, Segodnia daily reported Wednesday citing a person familiar with the situation.

Russia’s powerful Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has apparently promised to cut gas price for Ukraine to $170/1,000 cubic meters in 2009 if the coalition is created, down from $179.5/1,000 cu m in 2008, the newspaper reported.

Two weeks ago Russia threatened to hike gas price to $400/1,000 cu m in 2009 - a level that Ukraine would not be able to afford - unless Kiev pays $2.4 billion gas debt before the end of December.

Yushchenko said he was aware of the progress made by Tymoshenko and Yanukovych in the talks over the coalition.

“The creation of this coalition is very likely,” Yushchenko said. “In fact it has been already created.”

Vadym Karasiov, a political analyst that has been advising the presidential office, said if Tymoshenko and Yanukovych continue to press for the amendment, Yushchenko may launch a nation-wide referendum.

“If the newly created coalition starts to introduce ‘constitutional innovations’ … Yushchenko would have a reason to launch a referendum on the issue,” Karasiov said.

The people generally support the idea of electing the president by popular vote as opposed to a vote in Parliament, according to opinion polls.

“The referendum is like election,” Karasiov said. “But this would increase general political turbulence that would spill over from Parliament.” (tl/ez)