Parliament agrees to Azarov's appointment as Ukrainian prime minister
The Verkhovna Rada of the seventh convocation has given its consent to Mykola Azarov's appointment as Ukrainian prime minister, whose candidacy was nominated by President Viktor Yanukovych.
An Interfax-Ukraine reporter said that 252 lawmakers voted for such a decision on Thursday.
A total of 129 MPs voted against the decision, and 20 did not participate in the vote.
Among those who voted were 208 Regions Party MPs, 32 Communist Party MPs, and 12 independent lawmakers. Batkivschyna, UDAR and Svoboda voted against Azarov's appointment as prime minister.
Parliamentary elections were held in Ukraine on December 28. Azarov headed the election list of the Regions Party and was elected an MP. On December 3, he tendered his resignation, and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych accepted the resignation of Azarov and the entire Cabinet of Ministers.
On December 9, Yanukovych nominated Azarov for prime minister.
On December 12, during the first session of the Verkhovna Rada of the seventh convocation, Azarov took the oath of MP.
Under the Constitution, the prime minister is appointed by the president with the consent of more than half of the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada.
The Cabinet of Ministers is appointed by the president, under a motion from the prime minister.
