You're reading: Yanukovych hopes Rada to appoint presidium and new premier at first sitting

BANGALORE - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said he hopes that the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, will elect the parliamentary presidium and a new prime minister on Wednesday.

“I hope that today the Verkhovna Rada will take joint steps to elect
the presidium, and I also hope that the prime minister will be elected
today,” he told journalists in Bangalore on Wednesday.

According to the president, he hopes this vote is the first step towards constructive work at the Verkhovna Rada.

Yanukovych also expressed hope that the level of political culture
will gradually rise in the Ukraine and “opponents,” and not “enemies”
will work in the parliament.

“I think that step by step our political culture will rise, and we
will finally see a parliament where opponents, and not enemies, will
work to protect the interests of people and the state,” he said.

Yanukovych added that he feels that Ukraine is moving forward, and
all state agencies, including the Verkhovna Rada, should keep up with
this movement.

“I hope that cooperation between the branches of power, between the
government, the parliament, and the president, will be pragmatic,
constructive, and it will work for development of the country and the
creation of conditions for people’s living. I don’t believe that
politicians don’t want this,” he said.

The Verkhovna Rada of the seventh convocation started to work on December 12.