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Ukraine Ruling Coalition Breaks Up; Snap Elections Likely

by Reuters

   KYIV, UKRAINE --

   Ukraine's ruling coalition broke up Friday after the People's Front
   party quit outgoing President Petro Poroshenko's faction, potentially
   paving the way for incoming President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to call a
   snap election.

   "We declare our withdrawal from the current coalition, the cessation of
   its activities ... and the initiative to form a new coalition with a
   new agenda," Maksym Burbak, the People's Front faction leader, told
   parliament.

   Parliament now has one month to form a new coalition or else the
   president can dissolve parliament and call snap parliamentary
   elections.

   Zelenskiy won a landslide against Poroshenko last month but his newly
   formed party lacks any representation in parliament.

   A snap election would probably suit Zelenskiy, whose popularity is high
   and whose party is on course to win the election while falling short of
   a majority.

   Zelenskiy, a comedian with no prior political experience, is to be
   inaugurated Monday.

   Speaker Andriy Parubiy told parliament the coalition had ceased its
   activities and said "within one month from today ... a new coalition
   should be formed."