Second Azarov government

The second Azarov government (Ukrainian: Другий уряд Миколи Азарова Druhyi uryad Mykoly Azarova) was Ukraine's government from 24 December 2012 to 28 January 2014.[1] It was dissolved during the Euromaidan protests.[2] The ministers (except Prime Minister Mykola Azarov who was replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov (ex officio),[3] continued shortly as a caretaker government.[3][4] On 27 February 2014 Ukraine's parliament approved a resolution to dismiss the government.[5]

Second Azarov Government
15th Cabinet of Ukraine (since 1990)
Date formed24 December 2012
Date dissolved28 January 2014
People and organisations
Head of stateViktor Yanukovych
Head of governmentMykola Azarov
Deputy head of governmentSerhiy Arbuzov
No. of ministers23
Member partyParty of Regions
Ukraine – Forward!
Status in legislatureMajority
Opposition partyBatkivshchyna
UDAR
Svoboda
Opposition leaderArseniy Yatsenyuk
Vitaliy Klychko
Oleh Tyahnybok
History
PredecessorFirst Azarov government
SuccessorFirst Yatsenyuk government
Ukraine
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Ukraine
Constitution
Government
Judiciary
Elections

Creation

On 3 December 2012, the first Azarov government became a caretaker government after Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich accepted the resignation of prime minister Mykola Azarov and his government following the 28 October 2012 parliamentary election.[6] A number of government members, including Prime Minister Azarov, were elected to parliament in that election.[6] In order to get these parliamentary mandates, they were obliged to submit documents on the dismissal from their previous job to the Central Election Commission within 20 days after the election (by 3 December).[7]

On 9 December 2012, Yanukovych nominated Azarov for a new term as prime minister.[8] This nomination was approved by parliament on 13 December 2012.[9] According to Svoboda, that voted absolutely against Azarov, his appointment is illegal at least due to such technicality in the law of Ukraine which requires the president of Ukraine to be physically present in the session hall of parliament during his candidacy approval by Verkhovna Rada.[10] The People's Deputy of Ukraine from the parliamentary faction UDAR, Iryna Herashchenko, stated that the all political appointments that took place that day are a "political bribe" of the party of power (Party of Regions) to the Communist Party of Ukraine.[10] On 4 December 2012, nine days before appointment of Azarov, a people's deputy of Ukraine from Communist Party of Ukraine Spiridon Kilinkarov insisted at the political talk show Syohodni. Pro holovne on the Ukrainian television channel TVi that communists absolutely will not vote for any candidates to the prime minister of Ukraine from Party of Regions.[11] On 13 December, absolutely all members of the Communist Party of Ukraine voted as one for the candidacy of Mykola Azarov as the Prime Minister of Ukraine.

On 24 December 2012, the second Azarov government was appointed by president Yanukovych (Presidential Ukase #726/2012[12]).[1] The coalition of Party of Regions and Ukraine – Forward! as it is now in the government was foreseen and mentioned by the Ukrainian television studio Kvartal 95 in October 2012 in one of their episodes of Evening quarter.[13]

According to Anders Åslund, the government faced three big tasks: to govern, to break Ukraine’s foreign isolation and to salvage the country from a vulnerable financial situation.[14] In December 2012, he observed "little reason to believe that it can solve any of these three tasks".[14]

Communist Party faction leader Petro Symonenko stated on 28 December 2012 that the Communist Party of Ukraine and the Party of Regions had not concluded any agreements concerning the Communist support of Mykola Azarov's candidacy for the post of Prime Minister but that his party had supported this nomination because Azarov had told them his government was ready to implement the program on Ukraine's accession to the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.[15] Symonenko added that should Azarov fail to fulfill the promise of Ukraine's joining this customs union, the Communists would initiate his resignation.[15]

Parliamentary voting
Yes No Abstained Did not vote Total
252 129 0 20 401
Faction Number of members Yes No Abstained Did not vote Absent
Party of Regions 210 208 0 0 0 2
Batkivshchyna – United Opposition 99 0 51 0 16 32
UDAR 42 0 38 0 3 1
Svoboda 37 0 37 0 0 0
Communist Party of Ukraine 32 32 0 0 0 0
Not affiliated 24 12 3 0 1 8

Vote of no confidence

In 2013 the government managed twice to survive the vote of no confidence from the Ukrainian parliament until finally the president of Ukraine accepted the resignation of prime minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov earlier in 2014.

The first time the parliament voted on 19 April 2013.[16]

Yes No Abstained Did not vote Total
190 91 2 79 362
Faction Number of members Yes No Abstained Did not vote Absent
Party of Regions 207 0 91 2 74 40
Batkivshchyna – United Opposition 95 88 0 0 0 7
UDAR 42 35 0 0 0 7
Svoboda 36 36 0 0 0 0
Communist Party of Ukraine 32 21 0 0 1 10
Not affiliated 32 10 0 0 4 18

The second time the parliament voted on 3 December 2013.[17]

Yes No Abstained Did not vote Total
186 5 12 135 338
Faction Number of members Yes No Abstained Did not vote Absent
Party of Regions 205 1 5 12 100 87
Batkivshchyna – United Opposition 90 90 0 0 0 0
UDAR 42 42 0 0 0 0
Svoboda 36 36 0 0 0 0
Communist Party of Ukraine 31 0 0 0 31 0
Not affiliated 38 17 0 0 4 17

Fall
See also: 2014 Ukrainian revolution

After weeks of Euromaidan protests, and clashes, during which civilians were killed[nb 1], Prime Minister Azarov offered his letter of resignation on 28 January 2014.[19] According to his cabinet, Azarov was quoted saying that "In order to create additional opportunities for socio-political compromise, for the sake of the peaceful settlement of the conflict, I have made a personal decision to ask the Ukrainian president to accept my resignation from the post of Ukrainian prime minister".[20] Under the Ukrainian constitution this meant the whole government had resigned.[3] The president subsequently accepted the resignation and signed a decree dismissing the cabinet, which decree would not take effect until the Verhovna Rada approved a new cabinet. Hence the second Azarov government continued as a caretaker government.[3] Prime Minister Azarov was replaced by deputy prime minister Serhiy Arbuzov.[3] But under Ukrainian law the cabinet could be able to implement its duties for no more than 60 days.[4]

The compromise deal of 21 February 2014, between president Yanukovych and the opposition to end the February 2014 Euromaidan riots stipulated that a new national unity government was to be formed within ten days.[21] Also on 21 February 2014 parliament dismissed the Minister of Internal Affairs Vitaliy Zakharchenko.[22]

On 22 February 2014 the Ukrainian parliament appointed Oleksandr Turchynov as a coordinator of the Cabinet of Ukraine (Serhiy Arbuzov was not dismissed from his position).[23][24] The same day the Verkhovna Rada adopted number of laws which appointed parliamentary commissioners in control of several state agencies such as Ministry of Defense (Volodymyr Zamana),[25] Security Service of Ukraine (Valentyn Nalyvaichenko)[26] and Prosecutor General's office (Oleh Makhnitsky).[27] Parliament also appointed Arsen Avakov as the acting Minister of International Affairs.[28][29][30] Also on 22 February 2014 parliament expressed no confidence to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Pshonka following his dismissal from the post.[31]

On 23 February 2014 the Verkhovna Rada dismissed the Minister of Healthcare Raisa Bohatyriova.[32] It also dismissed the Minister of Education and Science Dmytro Tabachnyk[33] On 24 February 2014 (revoted on February 24) Minister of Foreign Affairs Leonid Kozhara was dismissed by parliament[34] and parliament a decision to dismiss the Minister of Social Policy Natalia Korolevska and the Minister of Culture Leonid Novokhatko.[35]

On 27 February 2014 Ukraine's parliament approved a resolution to dismiss the government.[5] They immediately followed it by the appointment of the new cabinet members of the Yatsenyuk government.[36]

Achievements

In December 2013 the IMF stated that the Ukrainian government's policy mix had "generated large external and fiscal imbalances" and that this had "contributed to deepening the recession in the country".[37]

Composition

When the cabinet took oath 24 December 2012; till 5 February 2013 the posts of Minister of Culture and Minister of Industrial policy were vacant.[38][39] On 28 February 2013 President Viktor Yanukovych reorganized the Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sports and the State Service for Youth and Sports, creating a Ministry of Education and the (new) Ministry of Youth and Sports.[40] On 2 July 2013 Oleksandr Lavrynovych was elected as member of the Supreme Council of Justice of Ukraine.[41] Olena Lukash replaced Lavrynovych as Justice Minister 2 days later.[42]

After on 28 January 2014 Prime Minister Mykola Azarov was replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov all ministers in the cabinet kept their post and continued as a caretaker government.[4][3][43]

Composition
Party key Party of Regions
Ukraine – Forward!
Non-party politician
Office Party Incumbent[44]
Prime Minister Mykola Azarov (until 28 Jan 2014)
First Vice Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov
Vice Prime Minister (Ecology, natural resources, energy, coal industry and industrial policy, space sector)[45] Yuriy Boyko
Vice Prime Minister (Infrastructure, regional development, construction, utilities and housing economy) Oleksandr Vilkul
Vice Prime Minister (Culture, healthcare, education, sciences, youth and sports) Kostyantyn Gryshchenko
Minister of Social Policy Natalia Korolevska (until 24 Feb 2014)
Minister of Revenues and Duties Oleksandr Klymenko
Minister of Health Raisa Bogatyrova (until 23 Feb 2014)
Minister of Economical Development and Trade Ihor Prasolov
Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Communal Living Hennadiy Temnyk
Minister of Education and Science Dmytro Tabachnyk (until 23 Feb 2014)
Minister of Culture Leonid Novokhatko[38][46] (until 24 Feb 2014)
Minister of Industrial policy Mikhaylo Korolenko[38][47]
Minister of Defense Pavlo Lebedyev
Minister of Internal Affairs Vitaliy Zakharchenko (until 21 Feb 2014)
Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Prysyazhnyuk
Minister of Justice Oleksandr Lavrynovych (until 2 July 2013)
Olena Lukash (since 4 July 2013)[42]
Minister of Foreign Affairs Leonid Kozhara (until 23 Feb 2014)
Minister of Finance Yuriy Kolobov
Minister of Energy [Generation] and Coal [Mining] Industry Eduard Stavitskyi
Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine Oleh Proskuryakov[48]
Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Volodymyr Kozak[49]
Ministry of Youth and Sports Ravil Safiullin[40]

Vice prime minister assignments
  • First Vice PM – Serhiy Arbuzov
    • Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food
    • Ministry of Economical Development and Trade
    • Ministry of Social Policy
    • Ministry of Finance
    • Ministry of Revenues and Duties
  • Vice PM – Yuri Boiko[45]
    • Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry
    • Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources
    • Ministry of Industrial Policy
    • Space sector
  • Vice PM – Oleksandr Vilkul
    • Ministry of Infrastructure
    • Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing
  • Vice PM – Kostyantyn Hryshchenko
    • Ministry of Culture
    • Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sport
    • Ministry of Health Security
  • Non-supervised ministries (National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine)
    • Ministry of Justice
    • Ministry of Defense
    • Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    • Ministry of Internal Affairs
    • Ministry of Cabinet of Ministers

References
  1. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine claimed on 25 January 2014 that a policeman who was walking home in civilian clothing had been killed by a shot in his head.[18]
  1. President of Ukraine has appointed new staff of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Archived 11 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine, UNIAN (24 December 2012)
  2. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/ukrainian-prime-minister-resigns-as-unrest-continues/article16540544/
  3. Ukrainian parliament delays vote on amnesty law until Wednesday, Euronews (28 January 2014)
  4. Serhiy Arbuzov to head Ukraine govt pending premier's appointment, Interfax-Ukraine (6 February 2014)
  5. Rada dismisses previous government, to form new one, Interfax-Ukraine (27 February 2014)
  6. Yanukovych dismisses Azarov and Cabinet of Ministers, Kyiv Post (3 December 2012)
    Ukraine government resigns, stays on in acting role, Kyiv Post (3 December 2012)
  7. Baloha posts his resignation as emergencies minister on Facebook, Kyiv Post (27 November 2012)
  8. Yanukovych picks Azarov for new term as prime minister (updated), Kyiv Post (9 December 2012)
  9. Ukraine parliament approves Azarov as prime minister, Reuters (13 December 2012)
  10. The second day of work. Verkhovna Rada 7.. Youtube by Svoboda. 14 December 2012
  11. CPU: We are not going to vote for the Prime Minister of Party of Regions. Youtube. 13 December 2012
  12. Official document: Presidential Ukase #726 Archived 30 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Website of the President of Ukraine. 24 December 2012
  13. "Evening quarter". The first three of "Ukraine – Forward!" on YouTube
  14. Ukraine’s new government sign of increasing Yanukovych weakness, Kyiv Post (25 December 2012)
  15. Symonenko:Communist Party had no agreements to support Azarov's candidacy for premiership, Kyiv Post (28 December 2012)
  16. Individual voting. Verkhovna Rada. 19 April 2013.
  17. Individual voting. Verkhovna Rada. 3 December 2013.
  18. Policeman shot dead in Kyiv, another policeman sustains knife wound - Ukrainian interior ministry, Interfax-Ukraine (25 January 2014)
  19. BBC News (28 January 2014). "Ukraine's PM Azarov and government resign". Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  20. "Ukrainian Prime Minister Azarov resigns". Interfax.com.ua. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  21. Ukraine: peace hopes in the air as president loses his powers, The Daily Telegraph (21 February 2014)
  22. On the release of his duties as Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine V. Zaharchenko. Law project. February 21, 2014
  23. On taking political responsibility for the situation in Ukraine. Law of Ukraine. February 22, 2014
  24. S.Arbuzov: Complex circumstances should not prevent economy of the country to work. Cabinet of Ukraine. February 24, 2014
  25. Commissioner of the Ministry of Defense. Law of Ukraine. February 22, 2014
  26. Commissioner of the Security Service of Ukraine. Law of Ukraine. February 22, 2014
  27. Commissioner of the General Prosecutor office. Law of Ukraine. February 22, 2014
  28. On temporary fulfillment of obligations of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine AB Avakov. Law of Ukraine. February 22, 2014
  29. Rada suspends Acting Interior Minister Zakharchenko from his duties, Interfax-Ukraine (21 February 2014)
  30. MVS of Ukraine became headed by Arsen Avakov. Ministry of Internal Affairs. February 22, 2014
  31. On declaring no confidence in General Prosecutor of Ukraine V. Pshonka. Law of Ukraine. February 22, 2014
  32. Verkhovna Rada dismissed Bohatyriova. Ukrayinska Pravda. February 23, 2014
  33. On the release of D. Tabachnyk from the duties of the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine. Law of Ukraine. February 23, 2014
  34. On the release L. A. Kozhara to perform the duties of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Law of Ukraine. February 23, 2014
  35. "Верховная Рада продолжает увольнять людей Януковича". newdaynews.ru. 30 May 2005. Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  36. Maidan nominates Yatseniuk for prime minister, Interfax-Ukraine (26 February 2014)
    Ukrainian parliament endorses new cabinet, Interfax-Ukraine (27 February 2014)
  37. IMF slams Ukraine's macroeconomic policy, Interfax-Ukraine (20 December 2013)
  38. Ukrainian president appoints two new ministers, Xinhua News Agency (5 February 2013)
  39. The Azarov/Arbuzov Government, The Ukrainian Week (22 January 2013)
    (in Ukrainian) ЯНУКОВИЧ ПРИЗНАЧИВ НОВИЙ КАБМІН. І КОРОЛЕВСЬКІЙ ДАЛИ КРІСЛО, Ukrayinska Pravda (24 December 2012)
  40. (in Russian) Short bio of Ravil Safiullin, Информационно-аналитический центр "ЛІГА"
  41. Judges Kolesnychenko, Kuzmyshyn, Justice Minister Lavrynovych elected as Supreme Council of Justice members, Interfax-Ukraine (2 July 2013)
  42. Ukrainian President Appoints New Justice Minister , Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (4 July 2013)
  43. Ukraine central bank head named as deputy prime minister, Reuters (24 December 2012)
  44. Yanukovych appoints new Cabinet of Ministers, Kyiv Post (24 December 2012)
  45. President charges Vice Premier Boiko with duties in space sector, Interfax-Ukraine (23 May 2013)
  46. (in Russian) Short biography of Leonid Novohatko, Информационно-аналитический центр "ЛІГА"
  47. (in Ukrainian) Янукович призначив міністром промполітики Михайла Короленка Yanukovych appointed Minister of Industrial Policy Michael Korolenka, TSN.ua (5 February 2013)
  48. (in Russian) Short Biography of Oleg Proskuryakov, Korrespondent.net
  49. (in Russian) Short biography of Volodymyr Kozak, Информационно-аналитический центр "ЛІГА"
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