KIEV, Dec. 13 – Parliament voted on Thursday to approve Mykola Azarov for a new term as prime minister with President Viktor Yanukovych quickly signing a decree to appoint him to the post.

The development opens the way for Yanukovych to appoint all other ministers in the government by his decrees as the economy continues to deteriorate.

But the vote also exposed a serious problem for Yanukovych suggesting that he may be facing a prospect of minority government that will struggle to have key economic legislation approved.

Azarov’s nomination was approved by 252 votes in the 450-seat Parliament and was only possible after the Communist Party, with 33 votes, agreed to support the nomination.

Without support from the Communists, the Regions Party, which controls 210 seats, will not be able to approve any legislation even with the help of loyal independent lawmakers.

“We are not supporting the government,” Petro Symonenko, the leader of the Communist Party, said. “We demand the government be responsible for what they have promised.”

The Communist Party is believed to have voted for Azarov as part of a deal, according to which the Regions Party has agreed to support Ihor Kaletnyk, a Communist, as the first deputy speaker of Parliament.

Volodymyr Rybak, a senior member of the Regions Party and a long time ally of Yanukovych, was approved as the speaker of Parliament, people said.

Yanukovych, who had a meeting with Azarov and Rybak later on Thursday, stressed on seeking unity in Parliament in order for the government to be able to avert worst-case economic scenario in 2013.

“We have to look in all directions on how we can join our forces and unite lawmakers in Parliament to solve problems,” Yanukovych told Azarov and Rybak at the meeting.

“The government can work effectively only if it has support in Parliament,” Yanukovych said. “I will always be with you to share responsibility for the entire situation.”

The same message stressing on compromise was given by Azarov to other lawmakers when his nomination was approved.

"Parliament approved its first constructive decisions," Azarov said after his approval in Parliament. "This was a result of compromise and agreements. I hope that there will be a place for compromise in Parliament in the future."

Yanukovych dismissed the government earlier in December following parliamentary elections in October.

Although there were some brawls in Parliament between the Regions Party and opposition groups, the vote for making key appointments had been carried out without clashes.

The opposition groups, including Batkivshchyna, Udar and Svoboda, focused their pressure on preventing multiple voting by lawmakers on behalf of their colleagues, which is an illegal practice but had been widely used over the past 10 years.

The adherence to the voting rule makes life even more difficult for the Regions Party, making it impossible to approve any legislation.

“Our position is clear and straightforward,” Anatoliy Hrytsenko, a senior lawmaker from the Batkivshchyna group, said. “If you have votes, go ahead and approve your decisions by every lawmaker making a personal vote. We will sit quietly.”

“But if you try to cheat and vote on behalf of other lawmakers, we will block Parliament, including by using force,” Hrytsenko said. “There is no other way around it!” (tl/ez)