Ukraine parliament rejects PM resignation

Parliament votes not to accept departure of Arseniy Yatsenyuk who resigned in protest as his ruling coalition collapsed.

Yatsenyuk took office in February 27 following the toppling of President Yanokovich [AP]

Ukraine’s parliament has voted not to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. 

Yatsenyuk had said last week he was resigning after two parties left the coalition supporting him and parliament balked at passing laws he said were essential to fund the country’s war against pro-Russian separatists, but the parliament, which had to accept the resignation, decided not to on Thursday.

President Petro Poroshenko had urged legislators and the government to find a compromise and keep the parliament working.

“I announce my resignation in connection with the dissolution of the parliamentary coalition and the blocking of government initiatives,” Yatsenyuk told parliament last Thursday.

“The coalition has fallen apart, laws haven’t been voted on, soldiers can’t be paid, there’s no money to buy rifles, there’s no possibility to store up fuel,” he said. “What options do we have now?”

Parliament had failed to pass budget revisions to spend more money on the war and on reconstruction of shattered infrastructure.

Early parliamentary elections in Ukraine have been expected since the February removal of the Kremlin-backed President Viktor Yanukovich following months of deadly protests.

The country was previously due to hold a vote in 2017.

Source: AP