(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in Ukraine fear the current political crisis could lead to a deeper national turmoil, according to a poll by Kiev Gorshenin Institute of Management Issues. 57 per cent of respondents are afraid the conflict could bring violence, disorder and bloodshed.

An additional 44.4 per cent believe instability could turn into anarchy, 36.9 per cent fear price increases, and 30.8 per cent are concerned about possible pension and salary payment delays.

Ukrainian voters renewed the Supreme Council in March 2006. The Party of Regions (PR) won 186 seats in the legislative branch, followed by the Yulia Tymoshenko bloc with 129, Ukrainian president Victor Yushchenko's People's Union-Our Ukraine (NS-NU) with 81, the Socialist Party of Ukraine (SPU) with 33, and the Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU) with 21 mandates.

In July, the "anti-crisis" coalition—which includes the PR, the SPU and the KPU—was formally announced. In August, PR leader Viktor Yanukovych was confirmed as prime minister, while Yushchenko remained as president.

On Apr. 2, Yushchenko dissolved the Supreme Council and called an election for May 27, which was later re-scheduled for Jun. 24.

On May 23, Ukraine's Constitutional Court curtailed the president's power to appoint and fire the heads of local courts. Under Ukrainian law, chief judges and deputies are nominated by the Supreme Court's chief judge, and then appointed or fired by the president. Critics of the president have complained that Yushchenko had been appointing only loyalists to the courts in recent months. The decision suggests that the Constitutional Court may not approve Yushchenko's dissolution of the Supreme Council.

Yushchenko's chief of staff Viktor Baloha said the president will not accept the ruling on the elections if it is not in his favour, adding, "There are two scenarios for the way out of the crisis: the early election to Parliament and further monopolization of power with respective consequences. The president will not allow the second scenario."

Polling Data

Which consequences of the current political conflict are you afraid of the most?
(Several answers allowed)

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