Ukraine to kick off early presidential election campaign

Ukraine on Tuesday will start a three-month campaign for an early presidential election in May, the country's electoral authority said Monday. Candidates have the right to register their names to contest for the race starting from Tuesday, said the Central Election Commission. Parliament Speaker Oleksandr Turchynov, who temporarily carries out the duties of president, said his country needs least 213 million U.S. dollars to hold the election campaign. On Saturday, the Ukrainian parliament passed a resolution to dismiss President Viktor Yanukovych from his post and set an early election for May 25, declaring him constitutionally unable to carry out his duties. The whereabouts of Yanukovych is still unknown after he reportedly left the capital late Friday to take part in a regional meeting in the city of Kharkov near the Russian border. According to local media reports, the ousted president may reside in the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine or has left the country. Earlier in the day, the Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant for Yanukovych and his close allies over the violence during the three-month anti-government protests, which left at least 82 people dead.