The political crisis in Ukraine over the disputed presidential election has deepened after leaders from the country's eastern regions moved a step closer to declaring autonomy from the capital, Kiev.
Leaders of Ukraine's eastern states threatened the unity of the country when they announced plans to hold a referendum on their regional status.
The eastern regions are a power base of the Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovich.
Premiers of the pro-Russian regions said they want to establish a republic within a federal Ukrainian state if pro-Western opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko is installed as president.
Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, headed by outgoing President Leonid Kuchma, has urged the country's regions to annul any decisions amid the calls for autonomy.
President Kuchma said this morning that working group talks between the rivals for the presidency were going badly.
He said a compromise was needed in the current political crisis if the country is to avoid what he called ‘unforeseen consequences’.
In a televised statement, Mr Kuchma also said Mr Yushchenko was not showing 'good will' in lifting a blockade by his supporters of government offices.
Opposition supporters rallied again on the streets of Kiev, boosted by parliament's vote yesterday which declared invalid the disputed election results that gave victory to Mr Yanukovich.
The resolution noted widespread fraud in the vote on 21 November, but had no legal force as parliament has no jurisdiction over the validity of elections.
But it provided a further boost for Mr Yushchenko in his bid to overturn the result.
A Supreme Court hearing tomorrow will consider his complaints of poll irregularities. The court has so far forbidden publication of the count handing victory to Mr Yanukovich, thus blocking his inauguration.
No date for any new election was suggested in parliament. Mr Yushchenko, 50, has already said he wants a new vote on 12 December, but Mr Yanukovich, 54, who is strongly backed by Russia, has yet to say whether he is ready for a re-run.
Western countries have called for a review of the results, with the European Union advocating a new election.
