Ukraine's parliamentary majority on Wednesday nominated Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich as their candidate in the Oct. 31 presidential elections, the Interfax news agency reported.

The decision was made during a meeting of the pro-government deputies, in which both President Leonid Kuchma and Yanukovich took part.

Yanukovich's electoral program would be to "complete political reforms in Ukraine and implement constitutional changes," parliamentary majority leader Stepan Havrysh was quoted as saying.

The changes to the constitution of the former Soviet republic would reportedly involve the transfer of some powers currently held by the president to the prime minister.

Yanukovich, 54, who has been head of the Ukrainian government since November 2002, is the first candidate to be nominated. The opposition Our Ukraine party leader, Viktor Yushchenko, is also expected to run in this fall's race.

Kuchma, whose second term ends in October, has said he would not seek a third mandate.

Source: Xinhua