ECONOMIC WOES

    The stagnant economic growth over the past half year added to the president's determination to disband the government, analysts say.

    The government of Tymoshenko put forward a string of economic reform policies, such as improving the investment climate and developing a stock market, to pull the country out of the sluggish situation.

    However, due to inadequate enforcement, the economic growth in the first half of the year stood at 4 percent, much lower than the expected 8 percent. Meanwhile, the official inflation rate reached 15 percent, but economic experts say inflation actually hit 30 percent.

    Rising prices of oil and daily necessities including sugar and rice have sparked repeated demonstrations in front of the building of the Ukrainian government.

    In a statement on Thursday, Yushchenko accused Tymoshenko of failing to carry out her duties of improving the country's economy, saying the former prime minister was busy scrambling for power and expanding her political influence in the government.

    UPCOMING PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION

    Under an amendment adopted last year to the Ukrainian Constitution, the parliament will get more power from the beginning of next year. The parties that win a majority of seats in the parliament will form the government and participate in naming key posts including the prime minister.

    In order to win the parliamentary poll set for next year, Yushchenko had hoped for engagement with Tymoshenko in an effort to maintain his political advantage. But his wish failed to materialize as Tymoshenko's allies were excluded from the list of candidates.

    Although the former primer minister had told the press several times about her intention to resign, her support rate continued to soar. The latest poll showed that Tymoshenko's support rate was the second highest in Ukraine following that for the president.

    On Friday, Tymoshenko accused Yushchenko of jeopardizing the country's future by firing her government and vowed to fight him as a parallel team in the parliamentary poll next year.

    Analysts say the worst-case scenario for Yushchenko would be Tymoshenko going into opposition, and as Tymoshenko has yet to spell out her plans, the political prospect of Ukraine would remain uncertain for quite a while. Enditem