KYIV. Jan 20 (Interfax) - Anna Herman, a member of the Party of Regions, said the group on the settlement of the situation in Ukraine has begun working and is expecting the opposition's response on its participation in the negotiations on Monday.
"The group is headed by [National Security and Defense Council Secretary] Andryi Klyuyev. The group comprises Justice Minister Yelena Lukash and [Ukrainian presidential adviser] Andryi Portnov," Herman told Interfax.
The group "has already suggest that the opposition meet in the second half of the day and that the opposition decide on who will represent it," she said.
"[The group] is ready for talks over the settlement of the domestic situation," Herman said.
It will be the first meeting and will be held without the head of state's participation, Herman said when asked whether Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych will attend the meeting with the opposition.
Yanukovych will only take part in talks with the opposition when the ground has been prepared and the parties' demands determined, Herman told the 112 Ukraine television channel.
"The ground must be prepared in order for the president to personally take part in the dialogue. The parties' demands must be determined, the dialogue should be started. One cannot talk about the president sitting down at a specific side. The president must represent the people," Herman said.
Meanwhile, Udar Party leader Vitali Klitschko said Yanukovych must personally take part in the talks over the settlement of the political crisis and answer for every step of agreements.
"It is odd to hold talks with Andryi Klyuyev whom Yanukovych appointed as head of the Working group for resolving the political crisis. Because it is Klyuyev who is responsible for the bloody dispersal of a demonstration on November 30 and the beating of students, for which no one has ever been punished. It makes sense to hold talks only with those who make decisions and are responsible for their execution. This is why President Yanukovych must definitely take part in the talks on the behalf of the authorities," Klitschko said earlier on Monday.
Clashes between protestors and police in Kyiv began on January 19 after Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada passed and the Ukrainian president signed into law a number of bills restricting the possibilities for holding protests in Ukraine.