Ukraine official snubs early vote demand

A senior Ukrainian official has rejected the opposition protesters’ demand for early presidential elections amid persisting political face-off in the eastern European country.

On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov ruled out the protesters’ demand for the cabinet’s resignation and pre-term presidential elections, The Associated Press reported.

“I don’t see any sense in that,” Arbuzov said, adding, “There is no budget for early elections.”

Meanwhile, Europe’s top human rights body said that Ukraine’s government and opposition leaders have agreed on a proposal to create a panel to investigate into the use of force by the Ukrainian police against protesters.

According to witnesses, riot police in Kiev used force to break up a demonstration on November 30 and another on December 1.

Demonstrations in Ukraine were triggered last week by a government decision to reject a political and trade agreement with the European Union.

The opposition demands the resignation of Azarov over his refusal to sign the historic EU deal.

Late on Tuesday night, President Viktor Yanukovich’s Party of the Regions announced plans to mobilize its backers in an apparent effort to stave off attempts to disrupt government operations by opposition protesters.

“Kiev is not the capital of the opposition, it is the capital of our entire country,” a presidential statement read.