Ex Finance Minister Azarov Becomes New Ukraine PM
World | March 11, 2010, Thursday
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych (L) congratulates Mykola Azarov, who was named as new Prime Minister of Ukraine in Parliament at Kiev, Ukraine, 11 March 2010.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has secured a coalition in parliament and one of his loyalists has been named as the new prime minister.
Parliament approved the nomination of ex-Finance Minister Mykola Azarov as Prime Minister shortly after the coalition agreement was announced, the BBC reported.
Azarov said his priority was to push through a "realistic" budget for 2010.
Yanukovych had been trying to pull together a loyal coalition after winning presidential polls last month.
He has faced resistance from defeated presidential contender and outgoing Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was forced out in a vote of no confidence last week.
Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn said on Thursday that the coalition had been formed on the basis of an agreement signed by the Party of the Regions, the Communist Party, and his Lytvyn bloc.
The coalition includes a total of 235 deputies from the 450-member chamber, he said.
Earlier this week the parliament approved an amendment making it easier for parties to form coalitions by allowing them to recruit individual deputies rather than just parliamentary blocs.
Tags: Viktor Yanukovych, coalition, Mykola Azarov
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