Crimea Elects New Prime Minister

Crimea's parliament elected Anatoliy Matvienko to the post last night.

Matvienko was nominated for the position by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. Matvienko is the head of the Sobor party, which is part of Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's parliamentary bloc.

His election came hours after parliament accepted the resignation of Serhiy Kunitsyn, who had been Crimea's prime minister since April 2002. Kunitsyn was also an adviser to former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma from 2001-02.