Igor Pukshin said parliament should be guided by Ukraine's constitution when setting the exact date of the vote. He said the document states that the election be held on the last Sunday of the last month of the fifth year of the Ukrainian president's term of office. Viktor Yushchenko took the presidential oath January 23, 2005.
"Considering Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko entered into office January 23, 2005 ... the fifth year of his term of office expires January 22, 2010, so the next election of the Ukrainian president, in line with the Ukrainian constitution, should be scheduled for January 17, 2010," Pukshin said.
The main candidates for the presidential post in Ukraine are expected to be Yushchenko, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and the opposition Party of Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych.
