The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has appointed Valentyn Nalyvaichenko as chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
A total of 230 MPs out of the 438 registered in the parliament’s session hall for voting backed the decision on Friday. They included 149 Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko MPs, 61 Our Ukraine-People’s Self-Defense Bloc MPs, and 20 Bloc of Lytvyn MPs. The Regions Party and the Communist Party did not participate in the vote.
As reported, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko earlier submitted in parliament a motion on the appointment of Nalyvaichenko as SBU chief.
SBU First Deputy Chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko has served as acting SBU head since December 22, 2006, after the parliament dismissed Ihor Dryzhchany, the former head of the SBU.
On December 17, 2007, Yushchenko tabled in parliament a submission on the appointment of Nalyvaichenko as SBU chief. The parliament rejected the submission at that time.
Nalyvaichenko was appointed first deputy head of the SBU on May 29, 2006. He was Ukraine’s ambassador to Belarus from December 30, 2005. In February 2004 through January 2006, he worked as Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister.
