Snap presidential elections can help Ukraine overcome crisis - Ukraine's first president

The first president of Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, is calling on incumbent president Viktor Yushchenko to resign, he was speaking on the Ukraine TV channel on Tuesday.

"A real patriotism of the president is to deeply analyze the situation, own stand and make a relevant decision. You should tell yourself, Viktor Andriyovych: I have done everything I could and I can't do anything else," Kravchuk said addressing to Yushchenko.

Kravchuk considers Yushchenko unable to restore an efficient system of power in the country. "You, Viktor Andriyovych, are today unable to improve the situation, create together with the parliament an efficient system of power," he claimed.

L. Kravchuk believes that the power in the country is actually destroyed and it is impossible to overcome the crisis without effective involvement of power.

According to him, Yushchenko focused major attention on how to hold on power and for that purpose he is even ready to make use of the global financial downturn.

In Kravchuk's opinion, Yushchenko deliberately escalates the economic situation in the country to shuffle off all responsibility on the Cabinet of Ministers.

He believes that Yushchenko's resignation can prevent a lot of problems, appease society and restore hope for real way out of the crisis.

The pre-term presidential elections, Kravchuk assumes, will help the country overcome the crisis.

At the same time, Verkhovna Rada Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn believes that Kravchuk's address to Yushchenko will aggravate political confrontation in Ukraine, he said live on the 5th TV Channel.

"There will be no early presidential elections and no implementation of the appeal made by Kravchuk. Though, I don't rule out snap presidential elections, but they will depend not on the appeals of separate politicians, groups of politicians, political parties, but they will depend on further developments," Lytvyn said adding that the situation may "become uncontrolled" with politicians and power will have to agree on the early presidential and parliamentary elections.

UKRINFORM