MPs reopen Yushchenko inquiry

Changed man - Mr Yushchenko's appearance was transformed

Ukraine's parliament is reopening its inquiry into opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko's illness after doctors in Austria said he had been poisoned.

The move by a parliamentary commission follows a similar decision by Ukraine's chief prosecutor on Sunday.

The commission's first probe said the presidential contender had had a viral infection and other diseases - although some MPs disagreed with the conclusion.

Doctors in Vienna said last week dioxin had disfigured Mr Yushchenko's face.

We suspect a cause triggered by a third party Dr Michael Zimpfer Rudolfinerhaus Clinic The poisoning theory What is dioxin?

Mr Yushchenko said on Monday he was convinced that Ukrainian authorities were behind the poisoning attempt but he refused to accuse anyone in particular.

The pro-Western politician faces a repeat presidential run-off with Moscow-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych on 26 December, after the result of last month's poll was annulled amid claims of widespread fraud.

Mr Yanukovych has categorically denied any involvement in the alleged poisoning. On Monday he accused the US of interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs, saying the Washington had financed Mr Yushchenko's campaign.

The US has repeatedly rejected such claims.

'Not convinced'

The parliamentary commission head, Volodymyr Sivkovych, said he had called an urgent meeting on Tuesday.

I find it disgusting that politics has come to this Sindu, Toronto, Canada Your views: Yushchenko 'poisoned'

"The results of the most recent expertise in Vienna are giving us grounds to renew our work," said Mr Sivkovych, who has supported the prime minister. "However, we are not convinced that deliberate poisoning can be proved."

Mr Sivkovych urged Vienna's Rudolfinerhaus Clinic to hand over the results of its tests to Ukraine's chief prosecutor's office and the commission.

He also called on Mr Yushchenko to urgently testify before the commission.

Mr Sivkovych refused to speculate on who could have been behind the poisoning, saying that the various scenarios suggested were "more public relations than truth".

Earlier Ukrainian prosecutors said they were re-opening an investigation into Mr Yushchenko's illness. In October, they had concluded that Mr Yushchenko was suffering from the effects of a virus.

'Serious' poisoning

On Saturday, doctors at the Rudolfinerhaus clinic said extensive tests showed a form of dioxin had been used, leaving Mr Yushchenko's face disfigured.

They described the poisoning as serious and said that, if left untreated, it could have killed him.

His blood and tissue registered concentrations of dioxin 1,000 times above normal levels, they said.

There appeared to be little lasting damage to Mr Yushchenko's internal organs, though experts say it could take more than two years for his skin to return to normal.