Parliament fails to approve NBU chair resignation

Ukraine’s pro-government parliamentary majority failed to collect enough votes at the Jan. 10 session to approve the resignation of National Bank of Ukraine Chair Serhiy Arbuzov, who was appointed first deputy prime minister. A second motion to include a revote in the parliament’s agenda also failed. Opposition MPs said they wouldn’t support the vote until Arbuzov presented a report on his tenure. Arbuzov’s official dismissal is needed before the parliament can vote to approve the president’s nominee to replace him, acting NBU Chair Ihor Sorkin.

Zenon Zawada: The failed vote indicates that the parliamentary majority assembled by the administration of President Viktor Yanukovych isn’t as reliable it had hoped it would be, as the president’s team was unable to rally the troops for an important vote. At the same time, it’s worth considering that Ukraine was still in holiday mode this week and heavy snowfalls and icy winds in Kyiv kept many MPs at home. A vote next week should be successful once the holiday season winds down.