KIEV, April 3: Ukraine was engulfed in political turmoil on Tuesday after parliament vowed to defy President Viktor Yushchenko's order to dissolve the legislature and hold snap elections.

Lawmakers from the parliamentary majority voted overnight to dissolve the central electoral commission, block election funding and ask the constitutional court to examine Yushchenko’s ruling.

At a stormy cabinet meeting, Defence Minister Anatoly Grytsenko, one of Yushchenko’s two supporters in the government, backed the president and said the Ukrainian army would follow his orders.

The rest of the cabinet voted overwhelmingly to support parliament's defiance and Yushchenko rival Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych asked the president to retract his order for the sake of stability.

Hundreds of anti-Yushchenko activists meanwhile spent the night camped out near the parliament building and tens of thousands were expected at a protest on Tuesday to protest the dissolution order.

The protests in central Kiev, which came after mass demonstrations on Saturday, were reminiscent of the 2004 “orange revolution” that brought Yushchenko to power.

The political crisis in Ukraine has sparked concern in Western capitals, with Washington calling on all political forces in the former Soviet republic to maintain calm and respect the rule of law.

In a dramatic televised speech late on Monday after a meeting with parliament leaders, Yushchenko announced the dissolution of parliament and ordered new elections to be held on May 27.

The crisis comes after months of political impasse since March 2006 when the pro-Russia Regions party won a crushing victory over Yushchenko's pro-West Our Ukraine party in legislative elections judged as free and fair by Western and Russian observers alike.

The stand-off reflects deep divisions in Ukraine between the predominantly Russian-speaking industrial east of the country and the Ukrainian-speaking agricultural west.

Yushchenko has pushed hard for full integration with the West since gaining power in 2005, including membership in the Nato military alliance. Yanukovych has instead favoured development of traditional ties with Moscow.

Many Ukrainians believe Yushchenko has failed to live up to his promises of a better economic future for the country and has needlessly antagonized Ukraine’s giant neighbour Russia.

Analysts said that Yushchenko’s low popularity levels meant his party would do badly in the elections, while Yushchenko’s former “orange revolution” ally, Yulia Tymoshenko, would be the main winner.

Tymoshenko addressed a crowd of several hundred supporters on Independence Square in Kiev late on Monday, saying that the “orange revolution” forces could unite and win the elections.

Constitutional reforms passed last year after the “orange revolution” weakened the presidency's powers and bolstered those of parliament, worsening a stand-off between the two branches of government.

The pro-Moscow coalition currently

controls 250 of the 450 seats in parliament, and with 50 more could change the

constitution to further weaken the president.—AFP