Kiev, Feb 27 (IANS) Ukraine’s parliament Thursday approved Arseny Yatsenyuk as the country’s new prime minister.
Yatsenyuk’s appointment was supported by 371 lawmakers in the 450-member assembly, after leaders of the country’s anti-government protest movement proposed Yatsenyuk’s nomination as the head of the cabinet Wednesday, Xinhua reported.
Yatsenyuk, a 39-year-old politician, economist and lawyer, served as the head of Ukraine’s national bank, parliament speaker, economy minister and foreign minister before 2010, when ousted President Viktor Yanukovych was in office.
Yatsenyuk is one of the leaders of the anti-government protests which began last November to back the country’s European integration and which turned violent Feb 18.
Following the violence, which left over 80 people dead, the parliament sacked president Yanukovych and dismissed the government.