Kiev, Feb. 02, 2006 (CWNews.com) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has instructed the nation's officials to avoid stirring religious tensions or ethnic hostilities in the campaign leading up to this year's parliamentary elections.

Yushchenko came to power in January 2005 after a bitterly contested election in which the incumbent he ousted, Viktor Yushchenko, received heavy support from Ukrainian Orthodox leaders affiliated with the Patriarchate of Moscow. The "Orange Power" movement led by Yushchenko drew its support largely from Catholics and Orthodox of the churches not affiliated with the Russian patriarchate.

In a separate presidential order Yushchenko ruled that the church of St. Nicholas in Kiev will be made available for the use of the Catholic Church. The move is a response to 14 years of petitions by Catholic officials for the return of the church building, which was confiscated under the Communist regime and converted into a National House of Organ and Chamber Music. That institution is to remain in the church building until it is assigned a new facility in Kiev.