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Tymoshenko pledges to unify Ukraine as PM

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KIEV, April 18 (RIA Novosti) - Yulia Tymoshenko, whose bloc came second in the March 26 parliamentary elections in Ukraine, said Tuesday that if appointed premier she could bring political unity and economic growth to the former Soviet republic in a year.

In live remarks on the 1+1 TV channel, Tymoshenko said: "Give me a year of work [as premier] without intrigues, and the results achieved will unify the country."

Tymoshenko, dismissed as prime minister in September 2005 after only seven months in office over a rift with President Viktor Yushchenko's supporters, said there was no need to advance new economic initiatives, and urged political forces to unite in implementing the presidential program "Ten Steps toward the People."

Tymoshenko said she would continue coalition talks with Yushchenko and the pro-presidential Our Ukraine party, which came third at the parliamentary elections, and insisted the president should take personal responsibility for forming a coalition.

Earlier, Tymoshenko said she would join a coalition if she were appointed prime minister.

The Supreme Rada, the country's parliament, must form a coalition within 30 days of the new parliament starting work, and appoint a new government and prime minister in the following 30 days.

Tymoshenko has been pushing the formation of a liberal coalition in the new parliament to include her bloc, Our Ukraine, and the Socialist Party, and has vehemently opposed any attempts to expand the coalition to include the pro-Russian Party of Regions, which won 186 seats in the 450-seat Rada.

A tentative coalition agreement has been signed but little progress has been made, mostly due to a debate on the name of the country's new prime minister, who is getting additional powers at the expense of the president according to a constitutional reform which comes into force with the new legislature.

President Yushchenko said Tuesday he was concerned that potential partners in a parliamentary coalition were wasting time in quarrels instead of working out a positive action plan.

He called on politicians to drop blackmail and ultimatums as this "harms building relations of trust between the participants of the future coalition," and said he was ready to cooperate with both the future majority and opposition.

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