Ukraine's parliament demands troops withdrawal from Iraq

Ukraine's parliament approved a proposal Friday demanding troops withdrawal from Iraq, the Interfax news agency reported.

A total of 257 members in the 450-seat chamber approved the proposal urging pullout of the 1,600 troops from Iraq, which was the fourth largest contingent in the US-led coalition.

Both of the contestants for the presidency, pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich and West-leaning opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, favor a troops pullout.

Ukraine has been locked in a political crisis since the Nov. 21 presidential runoff, in which Prime Minister Yanukovich won. But the opposition rejected the result.

The two sides are waiting for a verdict of the Supreme Court, which has been meeting all week to consider the opposition's allegations that the presidential runoff elections on Nov. 21 were rigged to favor Yanukovich.