Ukraine Endorses New Coalition Government

The coalition keeps alive prospects for NATO and the European Union membership.

The new prime minister, the 56-year-old leader of the pro-Moscow Regions party, Viktor Yanukovych, was confirmed in the post by 273 votes in favor, comfortably over the 226 needed.

The chamber broke into applause and he was presented with a huge bouquet of flowers.

"This isn't two leaders joining hands... but two Ukrainian parties that are reconciled," said Ganna Stetsiv, a member of the Yanukovych camp.

"Today we have two Viktors and one Ukraine," he said, referring to Yanukovych and President Viktor Yushchenko.

The confirmation followed tortuous coalition talks after parliamentary elections on March 26 at which Regions won the most votes but lacked an overall majority.

President appoints pro-Western ministers

But the president used his constitutional right to nominate the foreign and defense ministers, keeping in place pro-Western hawks from the previous cabinet, Borys Tarasyuk and Anatoly Grytsenko respectively.

Later Friday the parliament voted in the new cabinet, which obtained 269 votes, with 226 votes required to pass.

Yanukovych's pro-Russian Regions party obtained the posts of deputy prime minister in charge of energy, Andri Klyuiev, Yuri Boiko as energy minister, and Sergiy Tulub as minister for the coal industry.

Newspapers predicted that Our Ukraine would get a generous share of other ministries, while Yanukovych said earlier that his cabinet would be "effective, professional and responsible."

Pro-Russian regions rally for Yanukovych

Yanukovych, who was prime minister under ex-president Leonid Kuchma from 2002-2004, campaigned at the election on an anti-NATO, pro-Russian platform.

A former electrician and factory boss, he managed to build support in the heavily industrialized and Russian-speaking east of the country, where ties to Russia remain strong and businesses face increasingly tough conditions.

The settlement between the two men appeared a genuine compromise.

The "national unity pact" asserted that Ukraine could only join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after approval by a referendum.

It also called for integration with Europe "with a view" to European Union membership, although there was also a commitment to participate more fully in an economic zone that is led by Russia and includes Belarus and Kazakhstan.

A dramatic political comeback

It was a dramatic comeback for Yanukovych, a man who many had written off after the 2004 "orange revolution", when his initial win in a presidential election was overturned in mass protests and his rival Yushchenko went on to take the presidency.

On Thursday Yanukovych signed a "national unity pact" with Yushchenko, putting aside their political differences.

The pact was expected to pave the way for a broad coalition of the president's Our Ukraine party with the centre-left parties led by Yanukovych.

But in a sign of the strains involved, Yushchenko issued a caution to parliament at Friday's vote, while less than half his party's deputies actually voted for Yanukovych.

"The constitution doesn't give the president the right to reject a candidate but does give him the right to demand the maintenance of a political course," Yushchenko told parliament.

Tymoschenko out in the cold

The main loser appeared to be Yushchenko's glamorous ex-ally Yulia Tymoshenko, who stood by him during the 2004 "orange revolution", rallying the crowds that flooded onto Kiev's streets and camped out in freezing conditions.

Her parliamentary bloc boycotted Friday's vote.

Earlier a US State Department spokesman said that the United States was ready to work with Yanukovych despite the vote-rigging that marred his 2004 presidential bid.

"What we're seeing right now is the evolution of a democratic process.... Mr. Yanukovych has come to the premiership in the old-fashioned, democratic way. He worked hard for votes, he campaigned, he politicked," said the spokesman, Sean McCormack.

Yushchenko's efforts to take his country into NATO have caused consternation in political and military circles in Moscow, which regards this ex-Soviet state as part of its sphere of influence.

His earlier-stated aim of starting rapid membership negotiations with the European Union and joining the bloc in 2008 has slipped as the government made slow progress on reforms last year and enthusiasm for enlargement has cooled in some EU countries.