Yushchenko took the broad step over a failure by lawmakers to form a new ruling coalition, Novosti reported. The parliamentary elections will be the third in Ukraine in less than three years.

Yushchenko blamed the collapse of the country's ruling coalition on Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, citing "the dominance of personal interests over national ones."

The country's pro-Western ruling coalition collapsed Sept. 16 after the pro-presidential Our Ukraine bloc withdrew from the alliance.

Earlier, Tymoshenko's bloc joined the opposition Party of Regions, led by Russia-friendly Viktor Yanukovych, to pass legislation substantially cutting presidential powers.

Yushchenko labeled the move a "constitutional coup."