KIEV, April 12 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's president said Thursday he would not backtrack on his decree to disband parliament and hold early elections, which has triggered a new political crisis in the ex-Soviet state.

"Ukraine is not experiencing a tragedy, Ukraine is moving along its democratic path," Viktor Yushchenko told a televised news conference. "My decree to suspend the Supreme Rada's activity is binding and in force. This is Ukraine's main political reality."

The statement followed Vitaliy Haiduk, the National Security Council chief loyal to the president, who said Wednesday that Yushchenko could agree to put off the election, as well as suspend his decree to dissolve parliament.

Yushchenko said the dissolution of parliament, dominated by factions loyal to his long-time rival Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, was the only way to bring political activities back within the legal framework of Ukraine.

The president reiterated that defection of lawmakers to the majority coalition - which prompted him to disband the legislature - was illegitimate and called the coalition's goal of moving to a 300-seat majority with power to override vetoes and impeach the president "a threat to democracy."

Lawmakers have ignored the order pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court. Supporters of rival factions have been facing off on the streets of the capital, Kiev.

But Yushchenko said he would obey any Constitutional Court ruling on his order, and reminded judges that their decision was crucial not for the president and prime minister, locked in an ongoing struggle for power, but for 48 million Ukrainians.

The Constitutional Court has withheld judgment on the legitimacy of the order until April 17 after five judges refused to examine the case citing pressure.

Yushchenko also dismissed the possibility of an early presidential poll in parallel with parliamentary elections, saying there were no legal grounds for it.

"These are the death of a president, [poor] state of health, resignation - which I will not hand in - and impeachment for betraying the nation's interests. I have not betrayed the country's interests," he said.

Yanukovych, defeated by the incumbent president in the 2004 race, said Wednesday if early elections were to be held, they should be both parliamentary and presidential.

"If we hold early elections, they should be both parliamentary and presidential," said the premier, whose government has refused to finance a poll.

Poland's ex-president, Aleksander Kwasniewski is now in Kiev, meeting with the parties to the conflict. Kwasniewski helped end the standoff between Yushchenko and Yanukovych during mass protests in 2004, when the Moscow-backed rival's victory was overturned in favor of the Western-leaning leader.

A group of Russian lawmakers, a Lithuanian delegation and European Parliament members are also in Ukraine with a mediation mission.

European Parliament Vice President Marek Siwiec said Thursday what he witnessed in Ukraine was not a revolution, but a power struggle and urged European lawmakers to pay more attention to the situation.

He said the European Parliament and the European Union should "change their attitude to what is happening in Ukraine, since if we allow the crisis to escalate it could threaten European interests and Ukraine's European ambitions."

Adrian Severin, head of the European Parliament delegation for liaisons with Ukraine, proposed hearings on the crisis in Brussels - to involve the president, premier and members of the opposition and society - to help the sides start dialogue. Severin said hearings could take place April 16-17.

Meeting with Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas earlier Thursday, Yanukovych moved to allay Europe's concerns about the situation in Ukraine - a transit nation for Russian energy exports to Europe - saying the current tensions would not affect the country's economic ambitions and foreign policies.

"Our differences are tactical differences as Ukrainian politicians are facing the same goals," said Yanukovych, who has been cautious about Yushchenko's drive to push the country to NATO and eventually EU membership.