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As reported, the Regions Party started blocking parliament on June 26, demanding that the state budget amendments increasing the living wage and the minimum wage be considered at second reading. sxc.hu The Regions Party is planning to propose holding early elections to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, if amendments to Ukraine's state budget for 2009 increasing the minimum wage and pensions are not passed, one of the party leaders, Mykola Azarov, said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.

He was commenting on what the opposition will do if the state budget amendments are not passed until the end of the current session of the Ukrainian parliament.

"We hope that the amendments will be passed - the government will have enough common sense, and the Verkhovna Rada will have enough responsibility. We clearly state that the country doesn't need the parliament that cannot protect its citizens… Such a parliament has no right to its existence, and everything will have to be done to dissolve such a parliament, and hold early elections as soon as possible," Azarov said.

As reported, the Regions Party started blocking parliament on June 26, demanding that the state budget amendments increasing the living wage and the minimum wage be considered at second reading.

Regions Party MPs insisted on this at extraordinary meetings of the Verkhovna Rada held at the initiative of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko on Wednesday, July 1, and on Friday, July 3.