KIEV, Jan. 14 – In a sign of looming street protests, an undisclosed political group has purchased space in hotels around Kiev to accommodate thousands of people along with means of transportation, President Viktor Yushchenko said Thursday.

Yushchenko, who cited a secrete service report, said the group has been working for the person seeking a “absolute power,” a description he has earlier applied towards Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

“I read the presidential mail. Somebody has purchased resorts around Kiev, hired tens of buses in advance. Obviously, this isn’t done for the celebration of victory,” Yushchenko said.

“I understand well that there are political groups that will recognize only one election result – their victory. If the victory is not theirs, they will trigger the most serious mechanisms of confrontation, including public standoff.”

“Their target – I am talking about a concrete person – is absolute power,” Yushchenko said.

The comment signals that a major escalation of hostility is possible in Ukraine after the presidential election, including the massive street protests in Kiev.

The Tymoshenko campaign on Thursday admitted that the massive street protests were possible, but declined to elaborate.

“Theoretically, this is possible, but as of today I don’t see any major reason for that,” Andriy Kozhemiakin, a senior Tymoshenko ally, said.

The opposition Regions Party has already disclosed plans of holding massive rallies for weeks starting immediately after the January 17 presidential election.

Tymoshenko, the No. 2 most popular presidential candidate, was behind Regions Party leader Viktor Yanukovych with 16-percentage point gap, according to an opinion poll released in December.

Tymoshenko and Yanukovych are expected to score enough votes to enter the runoff vote on February 7. Yanukovych was expected to win the runoff, according to the poll.

Tymoshenko earlier said that she would contest the election in courts unless election legislation is amended to prevent fraud and if her group records any falsification during the vote.

Tymoshenko, in a recent interview with the Lviv-based newspaper Ekspress, said she will “prevent” Yanukovych from winning the presidency.

“Just imagine that Yanukovych wins. His portraits will be hanging in schools as a role model for children. His portraits will be handing in offices of senior police officers. This will be a humiliation for the country,” Tymoshenko said.

“This should not happen, and I will never let this happen,” she said. “Yanukovych will never be the president of Ukraine.” (tl/ez)