Ukraine's parliament was scheduled to vote Thursday on candidates for a new Cabinet that its proposed head Arseniy Yatsenyuk said would be a government of "political kamikazes."
The Cabinet will have "a short but clear" program: "To preserve and save the country," Yatsenyuk, an opposition leader who has been designated as prime minister, said in comments published on his political party's website.
"I can already say what the fate of all members of the Cabinet will be: They are political kamikazes," he said. "The treasury is empty, it has debts of $75 billion. Ukraine's overall debt is $130 billion. Pensions have not been paid in full for more than a month, the gold and foreign currency reserves have been looted."
Candidates for a new government include investigative journalist Tetyana Chornovol, who reported about corruption in the government of ousted President Viktor Yanukovych. She has been designated as head of an anti-corruption committee.
Another candidate is Dmytro Bulatov, an auto-repair shop owner who led protest motorcades outside the houses of Yanukovych's allies, and who in January had part of his ear cut off after being kidnapped and tortured by an unknown group of men. He has been nominated as youth affairs and sports minister.
A doctor who had treated protesters at the site of the main clashes between protesters and security troops, Olha Bohomolets, has been designated as deputy prime minister for humanitarian affairs.
The finance minister's post could go to Oleksandr Shlapak, who had served as economics and European integration minister in an earlier administration in the early 2000s.
The protests that led to the government change in Ukraine were prompted when the country's Moscow-backed president abandoned a planned deal for European Union association in favor of closer ties to Moscow.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
