Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych has again vowed to remain in his post despite his defeat in Sunday's presidential run-off election.
The prime minister spoke Wednesday, hours after a blockade of government headquarters by supporters of his election opponent kept him from chairing a cabinet meeting.
Viktor Yushchenko, winner of the vote, called for the blockade late Tuesday after the prime minister refused to concede defeat and said he would remain in office.
Official results released Tuesday show Mr. Yushchenko won the run-off with 52 percent of the vote, to 44 percent for the prime minister. But officials say Mr. Yanukovych has appealed the election results, alleging widespread fraud.
Separately, outgoing President Leonid Kuchma dismissed his deputy prime minister, Andriy Kluyev, after Mr. Kluyev refused to resign his seat in parliament. Ukrainian law forbids combining cabinet and parliamentary posts.
Some of this information for this report provided by Reuters.