Ukrainian president: There will be no early elections

By Ali Cura

KIEV, Ukraine

President Petro Poroshenko on Tuesday ruled out early elections in Ukraine.

"There will be no early elections," Poroshenko said at a meeting of the Regional Development Council in the capital Kiev.

Kiev has seen a string of opposition protests in October with demonstrators demanding reforms and the lifting of parliamentary immunity in order to better fight corruption.

Poroshenko said less than a year remained until presidential and parliamentary elections.

He added this time should be used as "effectively" as possible for reforms.

The presidential and parliamentary elections are expected to be held in 2019.

The current officials are in power since the overthrow of the pro-Russian then-President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014.