Jaresko, Samopomich party's Sandovyi possible Yatseniuk successors

KIEV, March 14 – President Petro Poroshenko sees Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko and the head of the reformist Samopomich party as potential candidates for prime minister, Svyatoslav Tsegolko, Poroshenko’s spokesman, said Monday.

“The purpose of all meetings of the President with political leaders is to speed up the end of the political crisis,” Tsegolko wrote on his Facebook page. “It is clear for all that to form a new government a new coalition is needed.”

Tsegolko said there were three possible scenarios including a technocrat government headed by Jaresko, a political government led by someone like Samopomich's Andriy Sadovyi, or for parliament to suggest a viable candidate.

Sadovyi, shortly after a meeting with Poroshenko on Monday, said his party has called for approval of legislation to combat corruption and to promote democracy and the rule of law.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has so far refused to step down, which is required for nomination of his replacement, Sadovyi said.

“I understand that Arseny Petrovich [Yatseniuk] is not going anywhere, so it is very important that the two major parties [Poroshenko’s and Yatseniuk’s] have found some certain understanding of the situation and offered a way out,” Sadovyi said.

Among political demands, Sadovyi mentioned approval of legislation that opens up party lists of candidates running for seats in Parliament, reshuffling of the Central Election Committee and replacing Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, who has allegedly slowed down reforms of law enforcement.

“If these steps are taken, I am convinced that the level of pressure in the political circles will drop,” Sadovyi said. “And after that you can normally discuss issues in the government.”

Jaresko was last week touted as a successor to Yatseniuk, who narrowly survived a no-confidence vote in February but whose popularity within the coalition and the voting public has collapsed since taking office in 2014.

The crisis has stymied Ukraine's efforts to secure more aid from its international backers, including the International Monetary Fund, which is contingent on Kiev implementing reforms and clamping down on corruption.

A foreign-born former investment manager, Jaresko could be a popular choice with Ukraine's Western allies, but it is unclear whether she would have the political muscle to push through reforms any faster than Yatseniuk could.

With Yatseniuk's coalition in turmoil, Ukraine and the IMF have yet to agree on a new memorandum setting out Kiev's precise commitments on reforms, which it will deliver in exchange for more aid worth $1.7 billion.

Even if Ukraine submits a new memorandum in March, it will have to wait at least until the IMF board meets in April to secure the money, Jaresko said. (nr/ez)