PLENARY MEETINGS OF THE SIXTH SESSION OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE SIXTH CONVOCATION WERE HELD ON THURSDAY, 11 MARCH

Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, opened the morning plenary meeting and briefed on the results of work of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine at the plenary meeting on 10 March.

V.Lytvyn announced that the coalition of deputy factions "Stabilnist i reformy" ("Stability and Reforms") was set up in compliance with Clause 83 of the Constitution of Ukraine and Clause 61 of the Standing Orders of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and was registered at The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariate.  

The coalition of deputy factions was set up on the grounds of the Agreement on the coalition of deputy factions at The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine signed by the heads of the following deputy factions: the Party of Regions, the Communist Party of Ukraine, the Lytvyn Bloc, and the People´s Deputies of Ukraine 235 People´s Deputies of Ukraine who confirmed their membership in the coalition by personal signatures. The coalition agreement is supplemented with the lists of members of deputy factions and People´s Deputies signed by the People´s Deputies. 

The Chairman announced a recess to hold the meeting of the coalition board.

After the recess, Oleksandr Yefremov, representative of the Party of Regions Faction, read out the resolution passed at the meeting of the coalition board: to nominate People´s Deputy Mykola Azarov to the office of the Prime Minister of Ukraine.

O. Yefremov called on the People´s Deputies to vote for the government, "finishing with the issue concerning settlement of all the matters permanently discussed in the session hall".

Ivan Kyrylenko, Head of the BYuT Faction, declared: the Faction did not recognize the coalition that had been set up with gross violations of the Fundamental Law.

2. The Factions expected the Constitutional Court to assess the said actions.

3. In compliance with the Standing Orders, the Faction passed a resolution to join the opposition to the illegitimate coalition and illegitimate government.

4. That day, the Faction shall form the opposition government government of the future.

I. Kyrylenko submitted the protocol of the meeting to the presidium.

V.Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, informed about the changes in the agenda. Thus, at first, the People´s Deputies shall scrutinize the decree of the President of Ukraine on Appointment of the Prime Minister, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine. Then the People´s Deputies shall pass resolutions on Dismissal of acting Prime Minister of Ukraine and members of the Cabinet of Ministers, on formation of the Cabinet of Ministers, etc.

In compliance with Clause 83 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the coalition of deputy factions submitted a proposal to the President of Ukraine as to the candidate to the office of the Prime Minister of Ukraine. Pursuant to Clauses 106 and 114 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the President of Ukraine shall submit a decree on Appointment of the Minister of Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine; and on Dismissal of the acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine.

The Chairman announced that Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine, was present at the plenary meeting.

Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine, read out the decree on appointment of Kostiantyn Ivanovych Hryshchenko to the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and Mykhailo Bronislavovych Yezhel to the office of Minister of Defence of Ukraine.

V. Yanukovych addressed the People´s Deputies with a request to endorse the decree on dismissal of Valentyn Oleksandrovych Nalyvaichenko from the office of the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine and on Appointment of Valerii Ivanovych Khoroshkovskyi to the office of the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine.

V. Yanukovych announced that he submitted the decree on Appointment of Mykola Yanovych Azarov to the office of the Prime Minister of Ukraine in accordance with the proposal of the coalition of deputy factions of The Verkhovna Rada.

Mykola Azarov, the Candidate for the office of the Prime Minister delivered the speech before the People´s Deputies. He emphasized that the most important task he saw for today is the formation of the effective, responsible and fair authorities for the people.

M. Azarov declared that the Governmental program would be based on the principles indicated in the program of Viktor Yanukovych, the President of Ukraine under the title "Ukraine for People." "The main target for today is to elaborate and adopt the realistic budget. The Budget would commence our leading task fighting against poverty."

M. Azarov stated that the Government plans to solve the problem with VAT recommendation that during the working period of the last Government failed to be efficiently solved.

M. Azarov deems the renovation of external balance of Ukraine equilibrium. He also expressed for the continuation of the structural reforms: tax, pension, budget and social that were stopped by the former Government.

M. Azarov also announced that the reform in the public utility service would take place soon and that would result in the implementation of the energy preserving technologies.

Giving answers to the People´s Deputies questions, M. Azarov expressed for the monitoring of the finance and budget systems of the state.

M. Azarov also briefed that the Government plans active cooperation with the international finance organizations and expressed hope that IMF would renew its credit program for Ukraine soon.

The People´s Deputies from the coalition factions upheld the appointing of M. Azarov on the office of the Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Representatives of the other factions expressed against the candidate.

The Speaker put to the vote the Resolution on appointing of M. Azarov on the office of the Prime Minister of Ukraine.

The Parliament upheld the Resolution by 242 votes.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed the Resolutions on dismissal of Yulia Tymoshenko from the office of the Prime Minister of Ukraine; on powers termination of the Cabinet of Ministers members, on dismissal of Nalyvaichenko V.O from the office of the Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine, on appointing of V. I. Khoroshkovskii on the office of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Mykola Azarov, the Prime Minister of Ukraine presented the candidates for the ministers chairs, pursuant to the item 13 part 1 of the clause 85, part 4 of the clause 114 of the Constitution of Ukraine, clause 44 pf the Law "On Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine" he presented candidates for the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine members: Andrii Kliuev to the office of the First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine; Borys Kolesnikov to the office of Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine; Volodymyr Semynozhenko to the office of Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine; Volodymyr Sivkovych to the office of Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine; Viktor Slauta to the office of Deouty Prime Minister of Ukraine; Serhii Tihipko to the office of Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine; Viktor Tykhonov to the office of Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine; Dmytro Tabachnyk to the office of Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine; Mykhailo Kulyniak to the office of Minister of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine; Vasyl Tsushko to the office Minister of Economics of Ukraine; Vasyl Nadraha to the office of Minister of Labor and Social Policy of Ukraine; Zinovii Mytnyk to the office of Minister of Health Safety of Ukraine; Anatolii Tolstoukhov to the office of Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine; Volodymyr Yatsuba to the office of Minister of Regional Development and Construction of Ukraine; Oleksandr Popov to the office of Minister of Public Utility Service of Ukraine; Mykola Prysiazhniuk to the office of Minister of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine; Dmytro Kolesnikov to the office of Minister of Industrial Policy of Ukraine; Oleksandr Lavrynovych to the office of Minister of Justice of Ukraine; Ravil Safiullin to the office of Minister of Family, Youth and Sport of Ukraine; Yurii Yaitsenko to the office of Minister of Coal Industry of Ukraine; Kostiantyn Hryshchenko to the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Yurii Boiko to the office of Minister of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine; Viktor Boiko to the office of Minister of Environmental Protection of Ukraine; Nestor Shufrych to the office of Minister of Emergencies of Ukraine and Minister of the Protection of the Population from the Consequences of Chornobyl Disaster; Mykhailo Ezhel to the office of the Minister of Defence of Ukraine; Kostiantyn Efymenko to the office of the Minister of Transport and Communications of Ukraine; Anatolii Mohyliov to the office of the Minister of Internal Affairs; Fedir Yaroshenko to the office of the Minister of Finance of Ukraine.

The People´s Deputies upheld the Resolution on the formation of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine by 240 votes.

By the next Resolution the Verkhovna Rada appointed Hryshchenko Kosyiantyn Stanislavovych to the office of the Minister on Foreign Affairs and Ezhel Mykhailo Bronislovovych to the office of the Minister of Defence.

The People´s Deputies upheld the proposition of the Speaker not to conduct the afternoon meeting.

The Parliamentarians passed the Resolution "On Resignation of the People´s Deputies of Ukraine: A.P. Kliuev, B. V. Kolesnichenko, V. L. Slauta, V. M. Tykhonov, Yu. A. Boiko, D. V. Kolesnikov, O. V. Lavrynovych, O. P Popov, M. V. Prysiaxhniuk, R. S. Saffiulin, D. V. Tabachnyk, A. V. Tolstoukhov, V. H. Yatsuba, N. I. Shufrych and M. Ya. Azarov, the Prime Minister of Ukraine."

M. Azarov, Prime Minister of Ukraine, took the oath and newly-appointed members of the Cabinet of Ministers countersigned the oath.

Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, adjourned the plenary meeting.

The next plenary meeting of the sixth session will be held on Friday, 12 March.