Yulia Timoshenko was appointed acting prime minister of Ukraine by newly sworn in President Viktor Yushchenko before his departure for Moscow. He chose the businesswoman who turned into a politician to back his campaign for the presidency. Timoshenko, 44, regularly addressed protesters during the "Orange Revolution"' after November's presidential election when crowds of Yushchenko backers poured into the center of Kiev to demonstrate against ballot fraud. Yushchenko, who favors closer links with the European Union, was confirmed president on January 20, after the court threw out the last of the appeals against the vote by his opponent, Viktor Yanukovych, an ally of outgoing president Leonid Kuchma. Parliament must confirm Timoshenko's appointment before she can take office.