Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced his resignation Thursday following the collapse of the ruling European Choice parliamentary coalition, RIA Nvosti reports.
“If no new coalition is formed and the existing coalition in a parliamentary-presidential republic had collapsed, the government and the prime minister have to resign. I announce my resignation because of the coalition’s collapse,” he said.
Yatsenyuk also expressed disappointment with Ukrainian parliament’s decision to reject a bill that allows the government to hand over up to 49 percent of the country’s gas transport system to investors from the European Union and the United States.
Parliament speaker Oleksandr Turchynov said parliamentary factions of the Svoboda and UDAR parties were to put forward the candidacy of the interim prime minister.
According to the Ukraine’s constitution, the resignation of Prime Minister entails resignation of the entire Cabinet. Cabinet of Ministers, dissolved by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament), will continue to function until the new government is formed.
