UDAR and Svoboda quit Verkhovna Rada coalition
KYIV. July 24 (Interfax) - The leaders of the parliamentary factions of the UDAR and Svoboda parties announced on Thursday that the two factions have pulled out of the Ukrainian parliamentary coalition.
"The UDAR faction announces that it is withdrawing from the coalition," faction leader Vitaly Kovalchuk said.
"Since we do not see the Verkhovna Rada's commitment to constructive work in compliance with the will of the Ukrainian people, Vitali Klitschko's UDAR faction announces that it is quitting the European Choice coalition in the 7th Verkhovna Rada," he said.
A constitutional mechanism has been built that will allow the government to dissolve parliament and order an early parliamentary election, Kovalchuk said.
The leader of the far-right Svoboda faction, Oleh Tyahnybok, has confirmed his faction's decision to pull out of the coalition.
"The Svoboda faction announces its withdrawal from the parliamentary majority coalition," Tyahnybok said.
MP Serhiy Mishchenko said at today's Verkhovna Rada session that the coalition includes 15 independent parliamentarians.
The 250-member European Choice coalition was formed on February 27, 2014 by the Batkivshchyna, UDAR and Svoboda factions, as well as the Economic Development group, the Sovereign European Ukraine group and other MPs.
If the existing coalition is dissolved and a new one fails to appear within the next 30 days, the Ukrainian president will be able to dissolve the Verkhovna Rada and order an early parliamentary election.