Ukraine opposition stages protest

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Thousands of people have turned out in the centre of the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, to demonstrate against their country's pro-Western government.

The protest, attended by up to 20,000 people, was led by former PM and opposition head Viktor Yanukovych.

Ukraine has been hit hard by the global economic crisis. But the government has been paralysed, unable to pass measures to deal with its effects.

Earlier this week, Ukraine's parliament voted to hold presidential polls early.

It agreed to schedule elections on 25 October, ahead of the previously expected date of January 2010 - the end of President Viktor Yushchenko's term.

Mr Yushchenko said on Friday he was prepared to consider holding joint presidential and parliamentary polls in October.

Angry and disillusioned

The opposition protest took place in Independence Square, the focus of the Orange Revolution that helped bring Mr Yushchenko to power.

Demonstrators waved flags, chanting slogans, shouting "out with the prime minister," and "out with the Orange coalition".

"I think everyone in this square has one big wish - change life for the better," Mr Yanukovych was quoted as telling the crowd.

"There is only one way to do this, when we are rid of those now in power."

The opposition leader said he was suspending protests until 14 April to give the government a chance to present measures to tackle the economic crisis, Reuters news agency reported.

The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Kiev says Ukrainians have become increasingly angry and disillusioned with their government, as the economy suffers.

In the past few months industrial production has shrunk dramatically, the national currency has lost nearly half its value against the dollar, and many people have either lost their jobs or are simply not being paid, our correspondent says.

Those Orange Revolution demonstrations, which continued for ten days in late 2004, were called in the wake an election victory by Mr Yanukovych that was ruled to be fraudulent.

Mr Yushchenko won a re-run of the vote.

But Mr Yushchenko has been locked in a deep rivalry with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, paralysing the governing coalition.