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WORLD NEWS Thursday 5 March 2020

Ukraine prime minister ousted, president seeks 'new brains'

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrai- told lawmakers, adding: He praised Zelenskiy's lead- ging popularity by "shifting self embroiled in the im-
nian lawmakers over- "We need results today." ership. blame for his own failures." peachment case against
whelmingly voted Wednes- Honcharuk first offered his "We have a good presi- Zelenskiy, 42, campaigned President Donald Trump,
day to accept the resigna- resignation in January af- dent. He's a decent and on promises to end the war who was accused of with-
tion of the nation's prime ter he was caught on tape honest person," he said. with Russia-backed sepa- holding around $400 million
minister after a six-month saying Zelenskiy — a former Zelenskiy's approval ratings ratists in eastern Ukraine in military aid to Ukraine to
tenure in which his perfor- sitcom star with no previ- have dropped significantly and combat the country's pressure it to investigate
mance came under severe ous political experience since his landslide victory endemic corruption. Democratic presidential ri-
criticism from President — knew nothing about the in Ukraine's April 2019 presi- Zelenskiy initiated a new val Joe Biden.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy. economy. dential election. round of talks to settle the Trump was impeached in
The president's Servant of Zelenskiy called the situa- Former Ukrainian Presi- conflict and an exchange December on two counts
the People party domi- tion "unpleasant" but asked dent Petro Poroshenko de- of war prisoners, but clashes by the Democratic-run
nates the Ukrainian parlia- Honcharuk to remain prime scribed the Cabinet reshuf- in the east have persisted. House, but the Republican-
ment and took the lead in minister. fle as an attempt by Zel- Over the past few months, run Senate acquitted him
relieving Oleksiy Honcharuk Two key Cabinet mem- enskiy to shore up his sag- Zelenskiy also found him- on both counts.q

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gestures as he ad-
dresses the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday,
March, 4, 2020.
Associated Press

of his post. Forty lawmakers bers also lost their posts
abstained from the vote in a broader government
but the message of the shakeup. Dmytro Kulba, the
353-0 tally was clear. vice-premier for European
Lawmakers later approved affairs, was named the new
Deputy Prime Minister De- foreign minister. The new
nys Shmygal to be the new defense minister is Andriy
prime minister. Address- Taran, formerly the ministry
ing lawmakers before the representative in Ukraine's
resignation vote, Zelenskiy United Nations delegation.
said Honcharuk, 35, failed Zelenskiy said that while
to halt an industrial slump or members of Honcharuk's
meet tax collection targets. Cabinet weren't mired in
"We need new brains and corruption, their efforts to
new hearts in the govern- eradicate graft haven't
ment," the president said. been strong enough.
Shmygal, 44, who was "It's not enough not to
named deputy prime min- steal," he said. "We prom-
ister last month, previously ised citizens to win the fight
served as head of the re- against corruption, and it
gional administration in hasn't even been a tie."
Ukraine's western Ivano- During a short speech to
Frankivsk region. lawmakers, Honcharuk cit-
"The citizens' expectations ed low inflation and mac-
are enormous and their pa- roeconomic stability as
tience is running out," he among his achievements.