Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has resigned

Mykola Azarov, Ex-Prime Minister of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovich has signed today, on Monday 3 December, the decree on the resignation of Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.

In addition to that all the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine will also resign together with the Prime Minister. According to the Article 115 of Ukrainian Constitution the resignation of the Prime Minister causes the resignation of the whole government, thus, the President has signed the decree on the resignation of all the members of the Cabinet.

But according to the Constitution the current government will work until the new one will be formed and appointed.

The official statement reports that all the ministers will work on their positions and will perform their duties until the formation of the new Cabinet. After the new Cabinet will be appointed, all the members of the previous one will leave their positions.

Mykola Azarov has held today his last official meeting with the ministers as the Head of Ukrainian government and thanked the ministers for their work and cooperation. Mr. Azarov has also announced about his resignation in front of the ministers.

Mykola Azarov, already ex-Prime Minister of Ukraine, asked the President about the resignation because of his election as a MP in the new Ukrainian Parliament.

Ukrainian Central Election Commission announced that Mr. Azarov has been already registered as MP today. Ex-Prime Minister is number one in the list of the currently ruling Party of Regions.

Sergiy Tygypko, Ex-Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine

The experts say that there are two possible candidacies for the position of the state’s Prime Minister. It would be most likely Sergiy Tygypko, who also hails from the Party of Regions, or Sergiy Arbuzov, head of National Bank of Ukraine. Some specialists also think there could be also the third candidacy.

Sergiy Tygypko, the acting Ukrainian Vice-Prime Minister and acting Minister of Social Affairs, announced he assumes that the new Cabinet of Ministers could be appointed till the end of this year.

“I am sure that we have to start the New Year with the new government, and I am also sure that we will be able to do that”, said Mr. Tygypko during his meeting with the journalists on 3 December.

According to the statement of Mr.  Tygypko, there were still no candidacies for the position of Ukrainian Prime Minister, but the Parliament will start to discuss this issue on 12 December, when the newly elected legislative body will officially start its work.