weeks counting from December 5 (i.e., no later than 26 December). This would be a re-run of the run-off vote only, rather than the wholly new election in three months' time which President Kuchma and Putin had supported. The yukusuchunky camp attacked in court the validity of the second round only, and therefore the Supreme Court could only annul the results of the second round. For the first round to be also annulled and repeated (as the Kuchma/Yanukovych camp desired), further evidence would have had to be brought in that would challenge the validity of the first vote. Neither side, however, chose to do that. Both sides committed themselves to abiding by the court's decision, which they regarded as final. Meanwhile, the Parliament voted to ask outgoing President Leonid Kuchma to withdraw the country's 1,600 troops from Iraq. The proposal was suggested by the Communist group, and passed by 257 out of the 450-member parliament. Both presidential candidates had previously supported a Ukrainian withdrawal. 4 December As Yushchenko supporters have received what they wanted from Ukraine's Supreme Court, protests calmed down in Kyiv although supporters of the Orange Revolution remain in Independence Square. On this day the Ukrainian parliament failed to adopt election law changes that were requested by the Yushchenko faction. Kuchma accused him of reneging on agreements made on an earlier date. The Socialist and the Communist Parties had agreed to vote in favour of the electoral changes if the opposition in turn supported constitutional changes meant to lessen the power of the President in favour of the Prime Minister and the Parliament. However that agreement fell through when Yushchenko said that constitutional changes would be considered only after the elections. 5 December In an interview on BBC television Yushchenko asked for the international community not to interfere in the new election, although he welcomed foreign observers. Yushchenko's most prominent ally, the politician and businesswoman Yulia Tymoshenko, stated that she would like to be appointed prime minister if Yushchenko wins. In his first interview since the Supreme Court ruling, President Kuchma pledged to abide by its decision and ruled out any repressive measures, such as the use of force or the introduction of a state of emergency. He also said that he was prepared to reform the 15-member Central Election Commission, which had been strongly criticised for apparently colluding in the fixing of the run-off vote. However, he