11 March 2010 - 09H39  

Yanukovych party forms new Ukraine coalition
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich inspects an honor guard on a trip to Moscow last week. Yanukovych's party has formed a majority coalition in parliament which will now appoint a government, the speaker announced Thursday.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich inspects an honor guard on a trip to Moscow last week. Yanukovych's party has formed a majority coalition in parliament which will now appoint a government, the speaker announced Thursday.

AFP - The party of Ukraine's new President Viktor Yanukovych has formed a majority coalition in parliament which will now appoint a government, the speaker announced Thursday.

"I announce the creation of the coalition of 'stability and reform'," said parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn, adding that the coalition had a majority of 235 MPs in the 450-seat Verkhovna Rada.

Yanukovych's Regions Party on Wednesday formed an alliance with two minority parties, leaving it just seven votes short of a 226-member parliamentary majority.

It has now recruited sufficient independent deputies or renegades from other factions to form a majority.

Under Ukraine's constitution, the parliamentary coalition nominates a new prime minister and most cabinet ministers to the president for his approval.

Close