Yushchenko marks first 100 days

Mr Yushchenko and his PM are popular

Ukraine's pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko has said his government is still on track as he marked his first 100 days in office.

"We haven't betrayed any of the slogans from Independence Square," he said, recalling the mass protests that helped bring him to power.

His presidency remains popular at home and abroad, despite continuing problems with the economy, correspondents say.

A recent opinion poll gave Mr Yushchenko an approval rating of 60%.

The poll, conducted by the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, also suggested that 47% of Ukrainians believe the country is heading in the right direction.

The president marked his 100th day in office while on holiday with his family in the Crimea.

Economic challenges

One promise made by the new president was to fight poverty. This year's budget considerably boosted public spending and the average national wage increased in the first quarter of 2005.

This period has been the government's honeymoon with the people, but love boats often crash against reality Ukrainian web site Glavred.info Media on the first 100 days

But the rise in social spending has also caused a steep rise in inflation, with economic growth slowing down compared to the same period last year.

Mr Yushchenko also vowed to fight corruption and bring Ukraine closer to the West.

Several criminal investigations have been started, mostly against people close to the previous government of former President Leonid Kuchma.

This has led the opposition and some of the media to accuse the government of political persecution.

Mr Yushchenko has won recognition from both EU leaders and the US Congress, and Ukraine now hopes for membership of the World Trade Organisation before the end of 2005.

However, the quality of Kiev's future relations with Moscow remains uncertain, correspondents say.

Many observers believe the president might struggle to keep his cabinet united in the run-up to next year's parliamentary elections. The combination of Socialists and strong business interests has often caused public clashes.