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Democracy News
Yanukovych Forms New Coalition Government
March 16, 2010
By: Randi Zung | Printer Friendly
On March 11, President Viktor Yanukovych announced the formation of his new coalition in the Supreme Rada – Ukraine’s parliament. According to Rada speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn, the coalition was agreed upon last Thursday and will include 235 deputies of the 450 member body, BBC News reports. Earlier in the week, Rada passed new legislation that eased regulations on the formation of coalitions, thus paving the way for individuals to join coalitions regardless of party affiliation. The New York Times reports that Yanukovych said his new coalition would work towards “[returning] to the path of development and progress.”
Prior to the legislative changes, Yanukovych’s Party of Regions was unable to form a coalition. The new coalition, going by the name of the Stability and Reforms faction, is composed of: 172 members from the Party of Regions, 27 communists, 20 members of Lytvyn's party, and 12 lawmakers who were previously loyal to Tymoshenko or former President Yushchenko, states Voice of America. In addition, Voice of America also writes that recently ousted former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko called the legislative changes unconstitutional. She stated that the government and the new coalition do not have any legitimate authority.
Former Finance Minister Mykola Azarov was approved by the parliament as new prime minister. Azarov said that one of his main priorities is to “eliminate the financial problems created by the previous government,” BBC News reports. One of the biggest challenges that the new government faces is the country’s economic crisis. In November 2009, after the Rada voted to raise minimum wage, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suspended a $3.8 billion tranche, Reuters reports. The tranche was part of a $16.4 billion bail-out package. Azarov said that he would immediately begin work to restart talks with the IMF. In addition to Azarov, Yanukovych also announced other members of his new cabinet including: Fedir Yaroshenko as finance minister, current Ukrainian ambassador to Russia, Kostyantyn Khryshchenko, as foreign minister; Dmytro Tabachnyk as education minister; and Borys Kolesnykov as deputy prime minister.
In addition, Ukrainian News reports that Tymoshenko, leader of the Batkivschyna Party, has announced the formation of a united opposition union. The union will be composed of the Batkivschyna Party, the Reforms and Order Party, the Ukrainian Social Democratic Party, the People's Rukh of Ukraine Party, the People's Self-Defense, the European Party, the Christian Democratic Union, and the Motherland Defenders Party. According to the union’s declaration, as read by Tymoshenko, it will pursue the formation of an opposition government. Specifically, Tymoshenko announced the union would work towards Ukraine’s Westernization, the promotion of democracy, and protecting freedom of speech.
Sources:
Ukrainian News - Eight Parties Create Opposition Union In Rada
For previous news on Ukraine, please see: http://ccd21.org/news/europe/ukraine_no_confidence_vote.html
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