Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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April 4, 2007

Pro-Government Supporters Gather for Mass Protest in Ukraine
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=16ECEF4:A6F02AD83191E16031B6A993AA8A78ED9574F7DCC14957C0 Nearly 5,000
traveled by bus and train from mostly Russian-speaking Eastern Ukraine
to boost pro-government forces





Supporters of Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych gather in
Independence Square in Kiev, Ukraine,  03 April 2007Pro-government
supporters of Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych continue to
arrive in the capital, Kiev, for mass protests against President
Viktor Yushchenko's decision to dissolve parliament and call new
elections.   Lisa McAdams in Moscow reports.

Nearly 5,000 additional pro-government supporters traveled by bus and
train from mostly Russian-speaking Eastern Ukraine to boost
pro-government forces already massed outside parliament. 

Inside, pro-government coalition deputies continue to meet, in direct
defiance of President Yuschenko's decree dissolving parliament and
calling new elections for May 27.  He took the step after accusing
Yanukovych of illegally expanding his power.

Prime Minister Yanukovych told lawmakers, today, all matters
concerning preparations for early parliament elections will be made
only after Ukraine's Constitutional Court issues a ruling on the
validity of the president's decree. 

But a senior official with Yushchenko's government, Secretariat Chief
Viktor Bondar, says territorial election commissions in Ukraine's
20-plus regions have already begun preparations. 







Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko, second left, meets security and
law enforcement officials in Kiev, Ukraine, 03 April 2007Earlier
today, President Yushchenko instructed the Ukraine Security Council to
provide funding for the elections.  He also discussed the ongoing
political crisis by phone with the Council of Europe's Parliamentary
Assembly president (Rene van der Linden).

Both President Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yanukovych have reached
out to European countries other than Russia, in trying to find a
political settlement to the stand-off.

Russian officials say they stand ready to assist, if asked.  The
speaker ofRussia's parliament, Boris Gryzloff, says Ukraine risks
violence, if the political stalemate is allowed to drag out in the
streets.

Gryzloff says all sides in the conflict must abide by the law, as they
search for ways out of this latest deadlock.

The American government is also closely monitoring Ukraine's political
situation and is urging a peaceful, non-violent resolution.

There have been no reports of violence, so far, and opposition
protesters appear to be largely staying away from the streets.

Polls suggest, if an election were held today in Ukraine, President
Yushchenko's Our Ukraine Party would place a distant third behind
Yulia Timoshenko's bloc and Prime Minister Yanukovych's Regions Party.


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