Ukraine's Rada confirms new cabinet composition agreed by coalition on April 13
Ukraine's parliament, Verkhovna Rada, has confirmed the new composition of the country's cabinet, which was agreed upon at the coalition's assembly on Wednesday, April 13, and was presented by recently appointed Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman at parliament's morning session on April 13.
A total of 239 MPs voted in favor of the relevant resolution at a Verkhovna Rada session on Thursday.
A total of 125 MPs from Petro Poroshenko Bloc backed the respective resolution (2 voted against and 4 abstained from voting), meanwhile 72 members of People's Front faction voted in favor of new composition (two MPs abstained).
Twelve members of Opposition Bloc faction and 18 members of Liashko's Radical Party voted against the resolution and none of them backed the coalition-approved document.
Eight independent lawmakers gave their votes 'for', and ten voted against.
Samopomich Union abstained from voting, Batkivschyna took five votes against and four MPs abstained from voting.
Vidrodymo (Vidrodzhennya Ukrainy movement), and People's Will voted for the resolution unanimously.
The post of health minister remains vacant since the respective candidate has not been agreed as of yet.
Stepan Kubiv was appointed as first deputy prime minister and economic development and trade minister, Pavlo Rozenko deputy prime minister for social affairs, Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze deputy prime minister for European integration, and Volodymyr Kistion deputy prime minister for military operation.
Current Deputy Prime Minister and Culture Minister Viacheslav Kyrylenko will remain deputy prime minister for humanitarian affairs, and Yevhen Nischuk will be appointed as culture minister.
Andriy Reva, currently a deputy to the Vinnytsia city administration head, will serve as social policy minister, Ostap Semerak, a parliamentarian from the People's Front faction, as environment protection and natural resources minister, Lilia Hrynevych, a People's Front parliamentarian and head of the parliamentary science and education committee, as education and science minister, and Taras Kutovy, a Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction member, as agrarian policy and food minister.
Besides, Vadym Chernysh was chosen to head newly-set ministry for the matters of occupied territories and internally displaced persons, Ihor Nasalyk – as energy and coal industry minister.
Deputy Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan was appointed infrastructure minister, and current Deputy Prime Minister and Regional Development, Construction, and Utilities Minister Hennadiy Zubko will retain only his ministerial position.
Oleksandr Sayenko, currently the head of the secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada's chairman, will serve as a minister without portfolio.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko, Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak, Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, Information Policy Minister Yuriy Stets, and Youth and Sports Minister Yuriy Zhdanov will retain their positions.