The parliament committe on statehood and self-governance recommended a vote of no-confidence in Prime Minister Mykola Azarov's government, opening the way for a parliamentary vote on the matter on Dec. 3. But Party of Regions faction leader Oleksandr Yefremov said earlier in the day that his faction will not support the motion.
Oppositional parties control less than 240 votes in parliament if independent deputies and those who have quit the ruling Party of Regions decide to support their motion. At least three Party of Regions members have said in the past two days that they will be quitting, but only one has filed resignation papers, Speaker Volodymyr Rybak said.
David Zhvania, a parliament member who quit the Party of Regions on Dec.1, said that he had no doubt that the opposition’s no-confidence motion will pass.
“There are no problems with the government’s resignation. There will be more of them (votes) than 226,” he told Interfax-Ukraine news agency. He also said that the parliament should discuss ways out of the current political gridlock.
“If things are solved in parliament in a civilized way, it will be a Ukrainian decision. If it’s a revolutionary way — it will be an outside decision,” he said.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been out in the streets protesting against the government and President Viktor Yanukovych, since their decision on Nov. 21 to reverse preparations for signing a major agreement with the European Union in favor of closer trade ties with Russia.
