The Ukraine parliament on Tuesday rejected President Viktor Yushchenko's nominee for foreign minister Volodymyr Ohryzko for a second time.

According to local TV reports, a total of 195 parliament members voted for the currently acting foreign minister Ohryzko, short of the required 226 votes in the 450-seat parliament.

Yushchenko's adversaries, who control the parliament, accuse Ohryzko of pursuing the president's West-leaning policy at the expense of close ties with Russia.

Adam Martyniuk, top vice speaker of parliament, told reporters that Ohryzko could only serve as the acting foreign minister for two months, and that the cabinet could appoint a new acting foreign minister if the candidate for foreign minister could not be decided within two months.

According to the Ukraine Constitution, President Yushchenko has the right to re-nominate Ohryzko for a third time, Martyniuk added.

Ohryzko was first appointed by Yushchenko on Feb. 5 to replace Borys Tarasyuk, who was forced to resign on Jan. 30 after parliament voted to sack him last December. But the nomination was rejected by parliament on Feb. 22.

Yushchenko re-nominated Ohryzko on Feb. 28 and sent the nomination to parliament for approval

Ohryzko, 50, has served as first deputy foreign minister since February 2005.

Under the Constitution, parties that gain a majority of seats in parliament win the right to form the cabinet. The president is entitled to nominate foreign and defense ministers but his choices need to be endorsed by parliament.