Ukraine MPs step up talks on new ruling coalition
Ukrainian lawmakers have doubled efforts for reaching consensus on establishing a new ruling coalition as disagreements still remain over key appointments.
Members of parliament continued negotiations ahead of voting on Tuesday for creating a new ruling coalition two days after Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk tendered his resignation.
Members of Yatseniuk’s People's Front together with those from President Petro Poroshenko's BPP (the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko) are in the final stages of agreeing on a coalition government under Volodymyr Groysman, a long-standing ally of Poroshenko. Reports say the two parties will announce the coalition within days.
The resignation of Yatseniuk, a key figure in demonstrations that led to the ouster of Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, culminated months of infighting between him and Poroshenko. Proshenko had repeatedly accused Yatseniuk of failing to tackle corruption. Western governments, including the United States, also backed the call.
Groysman, the current parliament speaker, said he would be willing to lead a government that is committed to anti-corruption fight.
“I am good for it. I am able to work 24 hours a day," Groysman, 38, told reporters.
However, serious disagreement remained on who should be appointed to key government posts, especially the finance portfolio which has been occupied by US-born technocrat Natalia Yaresko. Reports said Groysman had decided to offer the post to someone else.
The 2014 revolution in Ukraine has badly affected the country’s economy as the former Soviet state no longer enjoys support from Russia. Kiev is required to carry out a series of reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under a USD 17.5 billion rescue loan it received from the Fund .
The political and social problems have also been exacerbated by an insurgency in the east of the country, where fighting continues between the government forces and pro-Russia forces.
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