UKRAINE 'S 'RULING' COALITION

UKRAINE'S ruling coalition breaks up, and it may lead to some snap elections.

Ukraine's ruling coalition broke up on Friday after the People's Front party quit outgoing President Petro Poroshenko's faction, potentially paving the way for incoming President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to call a snap election.

''We declare our withdrawal from the current coalition  the cessation of  its activities - and the initiative to form a new coalition with a new agenda,'' Maksym Burbak, the People's Front faction leader, told parliament.

Parliament now has a month to form a new coalition or else the president can dissolve parliament  and call snap parliamentary elections.

Zelenskiy won a landslide against Poroshenko last month but his newly formed party lacks any representation in Parliament.

A snap election would probably suit Zelenskiy, whose popularity is high and whose party is on course to win the election while falling short of a majority.

Zelensky, a comedian with no prior political experience, is due to be inaugurated on Monday.

Speaker Andriy Parubiy told parliament the coalition had ceased its activities and said  ''within one month from today - a new coalition should be formed.'' [Agencies]