(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in Ukraine would like to cast a ballot to resolve a political deadlock, according to a poll by the Institute for Strategic Studies. 49.8 per cent of respondents would agree with the president dissolving the legislature and calling a snap election, while 32.4 per cent would oppose such a decision.

In 2006, Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions (PR) secured 186 seats in the Supreme Council. Yanukovych eventually became prime minister in a coalition government with the Socialist Party (SPU) and the Communist Party (KPU). After a long political stalemate and disagreements between the president and prime minister, a new legislative ballot took place in September 2007.

Final election results released in October gave the "orange forces"—including the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and president Viktor Yushchenko’s People’s Union-Our Ukraine (NS-NU)—228 seats, while Yanukovych and his Communist allies took control of 202 seats. In December, Tymoshenko was ratified as prime minister, with the support of 225 lawmakers.

Last month, Ukraine’s governing coalition split in great part due to disagreements over a conflict between Georgia and Russia triggered by Georgian armed forces in the breakaway province of South Ossetia. In the days following the incursion, Yushchenko asked the government to fiercely condemn Russia’s actions in Georgia, but Tymoshenko refused to take a strong stance against Russia. Yushchenko left the coalition as a result.

On Oct. 6, Yushchenko said he would like to see the "orange coalition" restored, but said the prime minister lacks the will to do so, adding, "Yet another election causes stress in the country. But let us not forget that an early election, while a radical solution, is a constitutional and democratic way out of this crisis."

Polling Data

Would you agree or disagree with an eventual decision by the president to dissolve the legislature and call a snap election?

Source: Institute for Strategic Studies
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 2,013 Ukrainian adults, conducted from Sept. 25 to Sept. 28, 2008. Margin of error is 2.2 per cent.

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