Ukraine's PM Quits

Arseniy Yatsenyuk survived no-confidence vote in February, faced gridlock after
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Apr 10, 2016 9:03 AM CDT
Ukraine's PM Quits
In this Feb. 16, 2016 file photo, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk speaks in Parliament in Kiev, Ukraine. Yatsenyuk is resigning, opening the way for the formation of a new government to end a drawn-out political crisis.   (AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov, file)

Ukraine's embattled prime minister announced Sunday that he is resigning, opening the way for the formation of a new government to end a drawn-out political crisis. In his weekly televised address, Arseniy Yatsenyuk said his resignation would be formally submitted to parliament on Tuesday, reports the AP. Yatsenyuk's Cabinet survived a no-confidence vote in February, but two parties left the governing coalition to protest the failure to oust the prime minister, who is under fire over the worsening economy and slow pace of reforms.

The withdrawal deprived the coalition of its majority in the Ukrainian parliament. If lawmakers fail to form a new coalition and unite behind a new prime minister, that may lead to early elections, which President Petro Poroshenko has sought to avoid for fear of further destabilizing the country. "From today I see my goals as broader than the powers of the head of the government," Yatsenyuk said. He said he would focus on passing a new electoral law, enacting constitutional and judicial reform, and ensuring "the coalition's control over the course of a new government." (More Arseniy Yatsenyuk stories.)

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