KIEV, July 6 – The opposition Regions Party may create a coalition with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko after the presidential election, scrapping the idea of an early parliamentary vote, a senior member of the Regions Party said Monday.

The Regions Party and Tymoshenko earlier tried to create a coalition, but their talks collapsed last month amid growing criticism from over their controversial plans to amend constitution.

But the talks may resume if Regions Party leader Viktor Yanukovych wins the presidency, perhaps allowing Tymoshenko to continue to run the government, Boris Kolesnikov, the senior member of the party, said.

“I don’t see anything extraordinary in this,” Kolesnikov said in an interview with Channel 5 late Monday. “The president today cannot form the government. Whoever wins, will have to seek parliamentary majority.”

The comment shows that the Regions Party has been abandoning its recent calls for early parliamentary election, an idea that is favored by President Viktor Yushchenko. Without the support from the Regions Party, the early election is not likely, analysts said.

Yanukovych is currently the best positioned among other politicians to win the presidency, while Tymoshenko and Arseniy Yatseniuk, a former parliamentary speaker, have been trailing behind.

A poll released last month suggested that Tymoshenko would lose election against both of her biggest rivals, Yanukovych and Yatseniuk, in the runoff vote, reflecting growing dissatisfaction over her government policy.

In the runoff between Yanukovych and Yatseniuk, the Regions Party leader would prevail, the poll suggested.

Meanwhile, Yatseniuk said Monday that dismissing Parliament and holding the early parliamentary election should be one of the first things to do for the next president.

“It’s absolutely clear that this Parliament, which has 98% disapproval rating among Ukrainians, is incapable,” Yatseniuk said in an interview with ICTV on Monday. “This Parliament does not have a credit of the people.”

However, Yatseniuk said that parliamentary election law must be amended to increase competition among lawmakers within their own party for seats in Parliament.

“That’s why the first thing that the new president must do is to force Parliament to approve changes to the law on the election,” Yatseniuk said. “This law must include open lists [of candidates].”

“The second, the head of state must approve decision on dismissal of Parliament. The new Parliament, which will not have cats in the bags, will be able to bring changes to the country.”

Yatseniuk was elected to Parliament on the ticket of Our Ukraine, Yushchenko’s party, and currently does not have his own group in the legislature. Holding the early election may give Yatseniuk a chance to establish his own group in Parliament, analysts said. (tl/ez)