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Tymoshenko toppled by no-confidence vote
Journal Staff Report

KIEV, March 3 – The government of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was toppled on Wednesday by a no-confidence motion, triggering a 30-day countdown for either creation of a new coalition or early parliamentary election.

The motion was backed by 243 lawmakers in the 450-seat Parliament. It was supported mainly by President Viktor Yanukovych’s Regions Party, the Communist Party and by the group led by Parliamentary Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn.

The development is the latest in a series of major defeats for Tymoshenko following her narrow loss at the presidential election to Yanukovych on February 7.

Yanukovych, at a meeting with leaders of groups in Parliament, called for the new coalition to be created “urgently” to take measures that would stop severe economic contraction.

“The first and the main question today is the creation of the coalition,” Yanukovych told the leaders. “Find political will and get the deal. The society and our world partners are waiting for this.”

According to Ukrainian constitution, the president will have the power to dismiss Parliament and call the early election unless a new coalition is formed within the next 30 days.

Ukraine’s economy contracted 15% on the year in 2009, one of the worst such indicators in the region, as the country’s steel sector was hit hard by shrinking demand for the commodity in the world.

But the Regions Party accused Tymoshenko is mismanaging the economy by resorting to massive borrowing that had been spent inefficiently by simply covering widening budget deficit.

“This year they have continued the practice of mad borrowing,” Azarov said, adding that domestic debts have increased five-fold since December 2007, when Tymoshenko has the post of the prime minister.

“My heart is aching to report these numbers,” Azarov said in speech before the non-confidence motion.

A stable government is needed for the International Monetary Fund to resume lending to Ukraine, which is facing about $30 billion in sovereign and corporate debt payments in 2010, in addition to monthly natural gas bills from Russia’s Gazprom.

Tymoshenko, at an emergency meeting with her loyalist lawmakers after the no-confidence vote, said she will go into opposition to Yanukovych, people familiar with the situation said.

Tymoshenko also said she will immediately take time off, while Ivan Vasiunyk, a deputy prime minister for humanitarian issues, will probably be appointed the acting prime minister for the time until the new government is created, the people said.

Ukraine’s 25-strong government remains capable as long as 13 ministers are attending meetings, according to Justice Minister Mykola Onyshchuk.

“In this case, the Cabinet will be able to approve decisions,” Onyshchuk said. (tl/ez)




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