Ukraine extends parliament term, election postponed to 2012

Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday voted in favor of prolonging its term from four years to five.

The move was approved by 310 lawmakers in the 450-seat assembly with a required minimum of 300 votes.

According to the new law, the next parliamentary elections in the country will be held on Oct. 28, 2012.

Meanwhile, local press reported seven lawmakers had been expelled from the opposition faction for supporting the amendments in Tuesday's vote.

The previous parliamentary elections in Ukraine took place in Sept., 2007.

The elections date was determined following agreement between former President Viktor Yushchenko, former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and the Chairman of the Parliament Oleksandr Moroz in an attempt to resolve the political crisis in Ukraine triggered by the presidential decree on dissolution of the parliament.

The presidential elections in the country were set for March, 2015.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Constitutional Court strengthened current President Viktor Yanukovych by giving back a number of powers, which former President Leonid Kuchma had possessed until 2004.

Source: Xinhua