Ukraine rivals agree on election date

Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko and PM Viktor Yanukovych have come to a compromise to set a parliamentary election date.

The move to set the date for the vote on September 30 is intended to diffuse the long-running political feud between the rivals that has threatened to break out into violence.

"We found a compromise solution," Yushchenko said after emerging from more than eight hours of talks.

Tensions between Yushchenko - who has sought to lead Ukraine into the European Union and NATO, and Mr Yanukovych - who wants to maintain Ukraine's close relationship with Moscow, have been building since the president ordered parliament to disband and called new elections.

Yushchenko claimed that Yanukovych and his coalition, which represents a majority of legislators, were trying to usurp the president's power.

But Yanukovych said he, Yushchenko and other senior officials and politicians who took part in the negotiations agreed that the country cannot be allowed to slide into violence.

"The fourth principle that we followed is to not allow a civil confrontation that could lead to bad consequences," Yanukovych said.

He added: "In recent days especially we have understood that we need to put an end to actions that could lead to that."

Yushchenko said the parties have agreed that parliament would over the next several days vote on laws needed to hold the election.

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