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Ukraine's Poroshenko bloc, Batkivshchyna, Radical Party begin new coalition talks

On Friday, March 25, representatives of the four factions will begin working on a new coalition agreement

Ukraine's Radical Party leader Oleh Lyahsko Maxim Nikitin/TASS

Ukraine's Radical Party leader Oleh Lyahsko

© Maxim Nikitin/TASS

KIEV, March 24. /TASS/. Ukraine’s Petro Poroshenko Bloc, the Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party, the People’s Front and the Radical Party have agreed to begin negotiations on a new coalition, Radical Party leader Oleh Lyahsko said on Thursday.

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He noted though that his party’s participation depended on meeting a number of requirements. "Among our requirements are renouncing special status of Donbass, raising retirement age, abolishing pensions taxation and cancelling agricultural land sale," he said.

According to Lyashko, on Friday, March 25, representatives of the four factions will begin working on a new coalition agreement.

He added that "so far the Samopomich (Self-Reliance) party was not prepared to take part in forming a new coalition." "However, they said they would be able to vote for a candidate to the prime minister’s seat, if their proposals were taken into consideration," he said.

Lyashko also noted that a coalition comprising the Petro Poroshenko Bloc, the People’s Front and non-affiliated parliamentarians was considered, adding that he personally was opposed to this option.

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Political bargaining lets Ukraine’s 'lame duck' prime minister stay in office for now

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