Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko called on Wednesday for President Viktor Yushchenko's resignation for covering up currency speculations.

Tymoshenko insisted that Chairman of the National Bank Vladimir Stelmakh should be immediately dismissed, reiterating that the fair currency exchange rate against the dollar was 6-6.5 UAH/U.S. dollar.

She alleged that Yushchenko was planning to drag the nation into a default situation and impose a state of emergency, in order to allow him to avoid a presidential election to be held one year later.

Tymoshenko is in a messy tug-of-war with Yushchenko amid a devastating financial crisis. At an annual press conference on Tuesday, Yushchenko also accused Tymoshenko of seeking to cement her grip on power.

Both leaders have blamed each other for allowing the national currency to devalue by nearly 40 percent, raising the risk of a default among major corporations and banks.

(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2008)