Ukraine’s presidential elections will be held on October 31, 2004, the Ukrainian parliament decided on Thursday. The elections will be nation-wide, according to the Ukrainian law on presidential elections.

Leonid Kuchma, the incumbent Ukrainian President, is not going to run for another term, although the Constitutional Court of Ukraine ruled that he has the right to seek re-election. Mr. Kuchma has not nominated a successor.

On February 18, Ukraine’s political leaders signed an agreement to set up a coalition of democratic forces, planning to nominate a single candidate in the presidential elections. Viktor Yanukovich, Chairman of the Party of Regions and Prime Minister of Ukraine, also signed the document. He is likely to be nominated as a candidate for the Presidency of Ukraine.

However, Mr. Yanukovich himself is cautious about this initiative. It is not ruled out that the post of Prime Minister will be more important than the presidential post in the country as a result of political reforms. In particular, the constitutional reform, proposed by the Ukrainian President in August 2002, is aimed at restricting the presidential powers and expanding the powers of the government and parliament. The coalition government would be elected by parliament.

On December 24, 2003, the Ukrainian parliament decided to consider a constitutional amendment to elect the President in nation-wide elections in 2004 and by parliament – in 2006.