KIEV, July 20 - President Viktor Yushchenko will probably take two weeks to decide on nomination of Viktor Yanukovych, the leader of pro-Russian Regions Party, for the post of the prime minister, Yushchenko??™s spokeswoman said Thursday.

The comment shows Yushchenko has been seeking to wait until after July 25 when the president obtains the power to dismiss Parliament, a tool that may be used to relieve political crisis.

The development is a bad news for Yanukovych, who has been pushing for an immediate nomination so that the pro-Russian coalition could quickly form the government before the July 25 deadline.

???According to the constitution, [the president] has 15-day term??¦ and he will use this right to study the nomination proposal,??? Iryna Herashchenko, Yushchenko??™s spokeswoman, said.

The comment was made after a 2.5-hour meeting between Yushchenko and Yanukovych as the two have been discussing ways out of the political crisis that had been gradually worsening.

The Regions Party has been pushing hard to install Yanukovych as the prime minister, the nomination that Yushchenko apparently believes would worsen political divisions in the country.

The Regions Party has been vehemently rejecting compromises with Our Ukraine, Yushchenko??™s party, such as expelling the Communists from the coalition and appointing a less divisive figure for the post of the prime minister.

Should the compromise be accepted, Our Ukraine would form the so-called grand coalition with the Regions Party, which would eventually create a grouping that would be more stable and predictable, analysts said.

But the Regions Party has been playing hardball, apparently trying to force Yushchenko to nominate Yanukovych and in the end to create the government that could challenge Yushchenko??™s pro-Western foreign policy.

The rising confrontation may lead to a situation when Yushchenko would have no choice but to dismiss Parliament and call new election within the next 60 days, analysts said.

???If the Regions Party suddenly feels itself the winner that must start offensive, they will see a different, strong Yushchenko that would do anything to stop it,??? Viktor Nebozhenko, the head of Ukrainian Barometer, a political consultancy, said.

Herashchenko, when asked about the possibility that Yushchenko would actually move to dismiss Parliament, said this remains to be ???an argument of the last resort.???

???This will be the decision that will be exclusively made by the president,??? Herashchenko said. (tl/ez)