refused to meet demands to sack Yanukovych, potentially setting up a fresh confrontation with the Ukrainian parliament, which had earlier passed a motion of no confidence in the government. 6 December Speaking in Turkey, Russia's President Putin strongly warned against foreign interference in Ukraine's new election, accusing Western countries of trying to impose their definition of democracy on Ukraine. Yushchenko continued to campaign for amendments to the election laws that would ban voting by absentee ballots and voting in people's homes, both of which were seen as being among the most abused election provisions in the first two votes. He also rejected proposals by Kuchma that the powers of the president should be diluted and partially given to the parliament, in which pro-Yanukovych forces are still powerful. 7 December - 8 December After several days of heated debate, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) agreed reform measures to change the electoral laws and institute changes to the governance of Ukraine. Key elements of the reforms include: Changes to the Central Election Commission and dismissal of some of its members; Tighter rules on absentee ballots and home voting to reduce the possibility of ballot fraud; Reduced presidential powers, with the president confined to appointing only the prime minister, defence and foreign ministers, subject to the approval of parliament; Greater powers for the regions, to reduce tensions between the west and east of the country. The reform package received the approval of 402 of the 450 parliamentary deputies (with 21 votes against and 19 abstentions) and was immediately signed into law by President Kuchma. In response, the opposition agreed to end the blockade of government buildings from 1900 (local time) on December 8. The reforms shift the balance of power within Ukraine, moving from the strong presidential system to a parliamentary system. The outcome is seen as a compromise between the rival camps, as the new election rules will improve Yushchenko's chances of victory but the constitutional changes will enable the Kuchma/Yanukovych camp to exercise influence through parliament and the regions following the election. Kuchma granted Yanukovych leave of absence to contest the December 26 election, and appointed First Deputy Prime Minister Mykola Azarov to serve as acting prime minister. The Times reported that Austrian doctors had confirmed that Yushchenko's mysterious illness was due to poisoning from a biological or chemical agent. Doctor Michael Zimpfer, president of the Rudolfinerhaus clinic, stated that his