President Viktor Yanukovych’s nomination of Azarov, 64, has to be approved by the new parliament on Dec. 12 when it holds its first session following a parliamentary election on Oct. 28.
But this seems certain since the ruling Party of the Regions emerged from the election as the biggest single movement in the 450-seat chamber.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
Azarov, 64, has served as Yanukovich’s prime minister since the latter won the presidency in February 2010, and is regarded as a safe pair of hands and a political neutral who is not linked to any specific group of billionaire power-brokers in the country.
Among his first big tasks will be to negotiate a new bailout programme from the International Monetary Fund to help the former Soviet republic repay, or refinance, $9.1 billion owed to foreign creditors next year.
An IMF mission is scheduled to visit Kiev in the second half of January to start discussion on a new stand-by arrangement.
Yanukovich accepted the resignation of Azarov’s government on Dec. 3, a move that had been widely expected after the election, and Azarov has been heading an interim government since then.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
