Ukraine's presidential rivals reach compromise deal, opposition leader calls for new vote

KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine's opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko signed a deal Wednesday that obliged his supporters to lift their siege of government buildings, but he said his followers will stay on the streets until an agreement is reached on a new vote for the country's presidency.

Yushchenko held face-to-face talks with Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych — his rival for the presidency — hours after the opposition showed its strength by bringing down Yanukovych's government with a no-confidence in parliament.

After the talks, Yushchenko proposed that a new run-off vote between him and Yanukovych be held Dec. 19. Speaking to his supporters in the street, he said he would not accept a whole new election — an idea suggested earlier by outgoing President Leonid Kuchma — and urged his backers not to give up their massive demonstrations.

"Protests in the streets will, of course, continue," Yushchenko said after the talks at the Mariinskly Palace presidential residence. "They would be lifted only after a date is set for a new election and changes introduced into the election law."

Holding an entire new election would allow other candidates to enter the race again, which the government apparently hopes would weaken Yushchenko. A repeat of the run-off as the opposition seeks would limit the contest to the rivals.

Hundreds of thousands of Yushchenko supporters have been in the streets of the capital, Kiev, claiming that fraud in the Nov. 21 run-off robbed the opposition leader of victory. Official results called Yanukovych the winner.

Under Wednesday's agreement between the two rivals — also signed by Kuchma and European mediators — opposition supporters would lift their blockade of the presidential administration and Cabinet buildings in Kiev.

It was unclear whether the agreement extended to massive pro-Yushchenko protests in Kiev's central square.

Under the deal, a group of lawyers would be convened immediately to consider changes in Ukrainian law in a bid to resolve the crisis. Yushchenko told reporters the lawyers must come up with with proposals within 24 hours.

Earlier Wednesday, Kuchma — who has backed Yukovych to succeed him — said he supported holding an entire new presidential election, but denounced the idea of repeating just the second round.