Ukraine's Parliament Again Rejects Yushchenko's Nominee For Foreign Minister

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday again failed to approve President Viktor Yushchenko's nominee for the country's top diplomatic job, dealing another blow to the president's efforts to reach agreement with the parliamentary majority.

Acting Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko
Career diplomat Volodymyr Ohryzko received only 195 votes, all but one from parties allied with Yushchenko, far below the 226 needed to be approved in the job.

It was the second time that parliament, dominated by allies of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, refused to endorse him.

"The ruling coalition again is preventing the country from having a foreign minister," said Vyacheslav Kyrylenko, head of Yushchenko's parliamentary faction Our Ukraine.

He accused Yanukovych and his parliamentary majority of violating an agreement to approve Ohryzko.

Lawmakers in the majority countered that Ohryzko was too objectionable, citing his pro-Western views and support for NATO membership, and called on Yushchenko to propose someone else.

Yanukovych's party is considered Russian-leaning, and his coalition includes the pro-Russian Communists.

"The candidacy of Ohryzko raises too many questions," Socialist lawmaker Yevhen Filindash said. "He is a big supporter of Ukraine's membership in NATO, but the majority of population is against it."

Larisa Mudrak, the head of presidential press service, said Yushchenko still insisted that Ohryzko get the job, but she said she did not know whether the president would seek a third vote on his candidate.

Before the vote, Ohryzko asked the parliament support him, saying Ukraine needed to have a foreign minister.

"The issue is not regarding the vote on me, it is regarding the image of Ukraine in the world," Ohryzko said.

Yushchenko nominated Ohryzko to replace Borys Tarasyuk, whose ouster was orchestrated in January by Yanukovych.

Last year, Yushchenko was forced into a power-sharing arrangement with Yanukovych, whose pro-Russian party won the most votes in parliamentary elections and assembled a governing coalition.

Since returning to power, Yanukovych has put Ukraine's move toward NATO membership on hold and championed a bill that trimmed back presidential powers.

Yushchenko is tentatively scheduled to go to Moscow on Wednesday, and he had said he planned to take Ohryzko with him as the acting foreign minister.

Source: Kyiv Post