KIEV, April 1 – Pro-government and opposition groups, in a rare show of unity, voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to schedule the next presidential election on Oct. 25, three months earlier than required by the constitution.

The vote is aimed against President Viktor Yushchenko and comes amid speculations among lawmakers that the president was about to sign a decree dismissing Parliament, following its inability to approve anti-crisis bills.

The development may spark a new wave of political tensions and could lead again to a constitutional crisis, the second one over the past two years, underscoring the need for new constitutional amendments.

“This decision is illegal, unconstitutional and politically motivated,” Yushchenko said at a press conference in Myrhorod, the Poltava region. “I, as the president, would like to stress firmly and clearly that the election will be held within the timeframe anticipated in the constitution.”

The vote was backed by 401 lawmakers in the 450-seat Parliament, the rare show of unity between lawmakers loyal to Prime Minister Yulia Tymosheko, the opposition Regions Party, centrist group led by Parliamentary Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn and by the pro-Russian Communist Party.

Even 26 lawmakers – or more than a third - of Yushchenko’s own group, Our Ukraine-People’s Self-defense, backed the motion, underscoring the split within the group, part of which is now effectively controlled by Tymoshenko.

Yushchenko was sworn in as the president on January 23, 2005, after defeating then-Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the leader of the Regions Party, in the Supreme Court-ordered re-run of the runoff on December 26, 2004.

The re-run was ordered after the court had taken into account reports of alleged massive fraud in favor of Yanukovych, who had campaigned on pro-Russian platform.

The current constitution stipulates the next presidential election must be held on Sunday of the last month when president’s full five years in office expire. This suggests the election must be held on January 17, 2010. The constitution also says Parliament should approve the exact date.

But Tymoshenko’s loyalists cited the previous constitution, which had expired on January 1, 2006, as the reason behind their decision to set the date of the election on October 25.

“Yes, the constitutional amendments were approved in [December] 2004, but they had come into force on January 1, 2006,” Andriy Kozhemiakin, a senior member of the Tymoshenko Bloc, said. He argued that since Yushchenko won the 2004 election according to the previous constitution, it must be used for calculating the date for the next election.

Yushchenko disagreed with such logic and will probably appeal Parliament’s decision in the Constitutional Court.

“Of course, the president will appeal to the Constitutional Court,” Maryna Stadniychuk, a deputy chief of staff at the Yushchenko’s office, said. “I don’t think that a period has been put in this issue, only several question marks.”

Meanwhile, there were speculations among lawmakers that real reasons for setting the date of the next election early were mounting fears that Yushchenko may soon sign the decree dismissing Parliament.

The constitution does not let president dismiss Parliament less then six months before the end of the presidency. If the presidential election is to be held on October 25 that means Parliament cannot be dismissed after April 25, which gives the president almost no room for maneuver.

“As far as I know lawmakers have been scared that there is the decree on the president’s desk setting early parliamentary election,” Oleksandr Yefremov, a senior member of the Regions Party, said.

The speculations mounted Tuesday after Parliament had failed to approve most of the anti-crisis bills submitted by Tymoshenko’s government.

This failure, which jeopardizes resumption of lending from the International Monetary Fund, shows that Tymoshenko, despite her earlier claims, does not control the majority in Parliament, which may open door for the early parliamentary election later this year. (tl/ez)