KIEV, Jan. 8 – Legislative support from the Communist Party, an opposition group, helped the pro-Western coalition led by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to obtain approval for its 2008 budget draft in Parliament, narrowly meeting the year-end deadline.

Eight members of the Communist Party joined the slim pro-Western coalition to back a budget on Dec. 28 that greatly increased social spending and cut government-sponsored construction and development projects.