Ukraine's pro-western govt on brink of collapse

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KIEV, Sept 3 (AFP) The party of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko decided to quit the pro-Western governing coalition Wednesday, plunging Ukraine into a new political crisis as relations with Russia worsened.brLeaders of Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party were due to announce their decision officially to parliament. The decision would come into force in 10 days if maintained. It was approved by a narrow majority of 39 out of the party's 72 deputies in the parliament, Ukrainian media reported, citing officials.brThe move came in response to the adoption Tuesday of a series of laws that would weaken the powers of the president, laws initiated by the pro-Russian opposition in league with the Tymoshenko Bloc The Tymoshenko Bloc is headed by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is sharply at odds with the president, despite broadly sharing his pro-Western political goals.brIn a heated parliament session Tuesday, the Ukrainian president's party stormed out of the chamber in protest at the adoption of the laws, which would also ease the rules for impeaching the president, Ukrainian media reported.brIn a sign of deepening divisions, the ruling coalition Tuesday also failed to agree a joint declaration about the war between Russia and Georgia, which like Ukraine is bidding to join NATO and the European Union.