Acting Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov (file photo)
8 September 2005 -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko today dismissed the government amid allegations of high-level corruption. Yushchenko appointed Yuriy Yekhanurov, governor of eastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, as acting prime minister.
Yekhanurov says a key priority will be to ensure stability. Yekhanurov worked from 1994-97 under President Leonid Kuchma as head of the State Property Fund, which oversaw the initial period of privatization in Ukraine.
Yushchenko blamed the absence of what he called "team spirit" for dismissing the government of Prime Minister Yuliya
Tymoshenko. He said interdepartmental conflicts were damaging the government.
"Every day I witnessed more and more confrontations among these institutions at first, then serious conflicts on various
issues, then backstage intrigues, which already started to affect the fundamentals of state policies," he said.
Shortly after Yushchenko's announcement, Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) chief Oleksandr Turchynov announced his resignation. He gave no reason for the decision.
Yushchenko came to power last January after a wave of popular protests that was partly fueled by corruption allegations against the former government. Yushchenko said tackling corruption is one of his key priorities.
(AP, dpa, Reuters, AFP, Interfax-Ukraine, ITAR-TASS, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
See also:
"President Yushchenko Sacks Government In Growing Crisis"
Yushchenko blamed the absence of what he called "team spirit" for dismissing the government of Prime Minister Yuliya
Tymoshenko. He said interdepartmental conflicts were damaging the government.
"Every day I witnessed more and more confrontations among these institutions at first, then serious conflicts on various
issues, then backstage intrigues, which already started to affect the fundamentals of state policies," he said.
Shortly after Yushchenko's announcement, Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) chief Oleksandr Turchynov announced his resignation. He gave no reason for the decision.
Yushchenko came to power last January after a wave of popular protests that was partly fueled by corruption allegations against the former government. Yushchenko said tackling corruption is one of his key priorities.
(AP, dpa, Reuters, AFP, Interfax-Ukraine, ITAR-TASS, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
See also:
"President Yushchenko Sacks Government In Growing Crisis"