Shmygal Set To Replace Honcharuk As PM Amid Ukraine Government Shake-Up

By Crimea Desk, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service March 03, 2020

KYIV -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk has submitted his resignation as the government prepares for a major reshuffle, lawmakers in President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's ruling Servant of the People party tell RFE/RL.

Ukraine's national legislature, the Verkhovna Rada, will likely vote on March 4 to accept Honcharuk's resignation and to replace him with Denys Shmygal, currently a deputy prime minister, the lawmakers said on March 3.

Zelenskiy plans to attend the extraordinary session of parliament, according to party members.

There was no immediate comment from Zelenskiy or Honcharuk.

Shmygal was named deputy prime minister in February. He previously served as head of the regional administration in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region.

Ukrainian sources told RFE/RL that other cabinet members will likely also lose their positions in the shake-up.

A 35-year-old former lawyer and a political newcomer, Honcharuk was named prime minister in August.

He previously submitted his resignation on January 17, amid a scandal surrounding an audio recording in which he allegedly disparages the economic knowledge and competence of both himself and Zelenskiy.

Zelenskiy at the time declined to accept it.

With reporting by Reuters, The Kyiv Post, and 112Ukraine

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/30467156.html

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