Ukraine opposition fails to force out govt in vote.

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Associated Press

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) -- Ukraine's opposition failed to force out the government with a parliamentary no-confidence vote Tuesday, leaving the country's political tensions unresolved with calls for more mass protests.

The opposition called for the vote in protest both of President Viktor Yanukovych's shelving of a long-anticipated agreement to deepen political and economic ties with the European Union and the violent tactics used by police to disperse demonstrators protesting that decision.

The dispute has brought crowds up to 300,000 people to the streets of Kiev, the largest outpouring of public anger since the 2004 Orange Revolution.

The no-confidence measure got the support of 186 members of the Verkhovna Rada, 40 shy of the majority needed. Even if it had passed, Yanukovych would have remained president, but the prime minister and Cabinet would have been ejected.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UKRAINE_PROTEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-12-03-08-48-39

[pampango]

1. "needed 226 votes for approval, backed by 186 lawmakers; 5 voted no, 12 abstained and 135 did not

vote. The tally suggested that while few wanted to be on record in support of the government, there was also no major revolt.

The measure failed as members of the majority Party of Regions stood by Mr. Yanukovich and the government.

Members of Parliament settled on a resolution, approved overwhelmingly, to summon Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and the rest of the cabinet.

Mr. Azarov appeared in Parliament shortly before 1 p.m., where he apologized for the police violence and insisted an investigation was underway. He said that talks would resume next week with the European Union ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/04/world/europe/ukraine-unrest.html