KIEV, Jan. 28 – Lawmakers on Thursday approved in the first reading a bill, sponsored by the opposition Regions Party, seeking to amend presidential election law by eliminating a quorum at local election commissions.

The Regions Party drafted the bill apparently after intercepting a secret memo from Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s campaign targeting the quorum to cancel elections in certain districts.

The Tymoshenko campaign on Thursday denied sending any secret memos to its regional offices.