Ukraine PM Risks Losing IMF Credit: PM's Aide

KIEV, Oct 27 (Reuters) - An aide to Ukraine's president said on Monday that Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko risked losing an IMF credit by attaching conditions to the adoption by parliament of financial measures required for the loan.

The International Monetary Fund and Ukraine agreed on Sunday on a $16.5 billion credit for the ex-Soviet state subject to approval of financial measures by the fractious parliament, blockaded last week by the prime minister's supporters.

Authorities had sought the credit to cushion the effects of the world financial crisis. But Ukraine is also gripped by political turbulence sparked by President Viktor Yushchenko's dissolution of parliament and call for a new election.

Presidential aide Andriy Goncharuk, in a statement published on Yushchenko's Web site, said the prime minister was acting against the national interest by lobbying at the same time for the cancellation of the December election.

"It is a pity that the position of the prime minister's office reduces the chances for the country to receive the first tranche of the credit awaited so long by the financial system," Goncharuk wrote.

"...An election must be seen as the sole way to resolve the political crisis, not a catalyst for economic problems. The lack of a viable parliament is a much greater risk for the country than a quick campaign and formation of a stable majority," Goncharuk said.

Yushchenko called the election after the collapse last month of a coalition of groups led by him and the premier. Tymoshenko, the president's estranged ally from the 2004 "Orange Revolution", denounces the election as "criminal" amid the crisis. Her supporters in parliament disrupted proceedings last week to prevent any discussion of funding for the poll.

Parliament's chairman, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, says failure to pass the measures could imperil talks with the IMF and has urged deputies to narrow differences and debate the matter on Tuesday. Tymoshenko said she hoped the chamber would come to a consensus and approve the moves.

"...We fully believe that tomorrow, Tuesday, a package of legislative measures to combat the crisis must be adopted in parliament," she told reporters. "We hope that by the end of today we will have worked out a single bill based on the government proposal."

(Writing by Ron Popeski; Editing by Victoria Main) Keywords: UKRAINE IMF/ [e-mail] jlw COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.

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