UKRAINE’S presidential rivals publicly renounced violence last night and agreed to set up a working group to heal the country’s political paralysis, but the opposition still insisted on fresh elections.

At crisis talks mediated by Russia and the EU, Viktor Yanukovych, the Prime Minister, and his liberal challenger, Viktor Yushchenko, called for a peaceful solution to the impasse. “We stand against any use of force that might lead to an escalation of conflict and bloodshed,” they declared in a joint statement.

But, indicating that little progress had been made, Mr Yushchenko later repeated his demand that fresh elections be held on December 12 under the supervision of a new electoral commission.

“We will allow only a few days for negotiation,” Mr Yushchenko said. “If Yanukovych wants to drag things out, we will take active measures.”

The opposition leader beamed as he shook hands with supporters massed outside the Mariinsky palace where the talks were held, while Mr Yanukovych, looking disgruntled, left without comment.

The three-hour talks took place as thousands of opposition supporters blockaded government buildings to demand that Mr Yanukovych’s victory be overturned. They came after a flurry of negotiations between the leading political players and Russian and European dignitaries, highlighting the stakes in what has become a Cold War-style confrontation between Russia and the West.

President Putin, who backed Mr Yanukovych in the election, was represented by Boris Gryzlov, the Russian parliament speaker. The EU, which refuses to accept the results, sent Javier Solana, its foreign policy chief. President Kwasniewski of Poland and President Adamkus of Lithuania acted as intermediaries.

Earlier, Mr Yanukovych told thousands of supporters outside Kiev’s main train station that he would never allow the opposition to seize power by force. “We must do everything so that an unconstitutional coup in Ukraine does not happen,” he told the crowd, mostly miners brought in from his support base in Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine.

Mr Yanukovych was dealt a blow on Thursday when the Supreme Court delayed his inauguration until it had considered the opposition’s claim that the Government rigged the vote. The court — which is considered reasonably independent — is expected to hear the opposition’s appeal on Monday.

The opposition received another boost yesterday when national television stations, which had previously provided positive coverage of Mr Yanukovych and avoided news of the protests, began to feature coverage of the opposition.

A fifth member of Ukraine’s 15-member Central Election Commission, which declared Mr Yanukovych the victor this week, repudiated that ruling.

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