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1.  UKRAINE HAS NEW GOVERNMENT
Interfax Ukraine Business Panorama, Kyiv, Ukraine, Mon, Dec 24, 2007

 

2.  UKRAINE'S NEW TYMOSHENKO CABINET
U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) Monitoring Service
Complied from a wide variety of news and other sources
Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, December 26, 2007

3.  PROFILE OF NEW UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER

YULIYA TYMOSHENKO 
BBC Monitoring research in English 11 Dec 07
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, December 11, 2007

4.  PROFILE OF NEW UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER
ARSENIY YATSENYUK 
BBC Monitoring research in English 7 Dec 07
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, December 7, 2007

5.  PROFILE OF NEW UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

VOLODYMYR OHRYZKO 
BBC Monitoring research in English 24 Dec 07
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, Thursday, Dec 24, 2007

 

6.  PROFILE OF NEW UKRAINIAN DEFENCE MINISTER

YURIY YEKHANUROV 
BBC Monitoring research in English 24 Dec 07
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, Monday, December 24, 2007

 

7.  PROFILE OF NEW UKRAINIAN INTERIOR MINISTER
YURIY LUTSENKO 
BBC Monitoring research in English 24 Dec 07
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, Monday, December 24, 2007

8.  WHO IS WHO IN TYMOSHENKO'S GOVERNMENT?
Ukrayinska Pravda, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, December 23, 2007
========================================================
1.  UKRAINE HAS NEW GOVERNMENT

Interfax Ukraine Business Panorama, Kyiv, Ukraine, Mon, Dec 24, 2007

KYIV - BYT Leader Yulia Tymoshenko was elected Ukraine's prime minister

on December 18, with 226 MPs voting for her appointment. Tymoshenko's
nomination was backed by all 156 members of the BYT faction.

Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense MP Ivan Pliusch abstained. Another faction
member Ivan Spodarenko, who was earlier in intensive care in a hospital, was
not present at the parliament.

The dismissal of the government of Viktor Yanukovych was also officially
announced on December 18. Mykola Shershun, the chairman of the accounting
commission, read a protocol of the vote for the dismissal of the government
in the Verkhovna Rada. A total of 226 MPs voted to dismiss the Cabinet of
Ministers.

On the same day, the Ukrainian parliament appointed the new Cabinet of
Ministers of Ukraine. A total of 227 MPs (including Ivan Pliusch of the Our
Ukraine-People's Self Defense faction, who earlier abstained from voting and
who is not a member of the coalition) supported the appointment of the new
government, with 226 votes required.

The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, on December 18 officially
announced the appointment of the new Cabinet of Ministers. Mykola Shershun,
the head of the accounting commission of the parliament, read a protocol of
the vote on the appointment of the Ukrainian government.

According to the official protocol, 227 MPs voted to appoint the government.
The Regions Party, the Communist Party and the Bloc of Lytvyn did not
participate in the vote. All of the 156 MPs of the Bloc of Yulia
Tymoshenko's faction voted to appoint the new government.

A total of 71 out of the 72 MPs of the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense
Bloc backed the decision. Only Ivan Spodarenko did not participate in the
vote, as he was in hospital.

Verkhovna Rada Speaker Arseniy Yatseniuk signed a resolution on the
appointment of the new Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The newly elected
government members took their seats.

The newly appointed members of the government are:

[1] First Deputy Premier Oleksandr Turchynov of the Bloc of Yulia
Tymoshenko;

[2] Deputy Premiers Ivan Vasiunyk (deputy head of the presidential
secretariat at present, quota of the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense

Bloc) and

 

[3] Hryhoriy Nemyria of the BYT;

[4] Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko (the first deputy foreign minister at
present, the quota of President Viktor Yuschenko);

[5] Defense Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov (MP of the Our Ukraine-People's
Self-Defense Bloc, the quota of the president);

[6] Finance Minister Viktor Pinzenyk (the finance minister in the government
of Yulia Tymoshenko and the government of Yuriy Yekhanurov in 2005-2006,

MP of the BYT, the quota of the BYT);

[7] Economy Minister Bohdan Danylyshyn (corresponding member of the

National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the head of the Council for studies

of the productive forces of Ukraine, the quota of the BYT);

[8] Industry Minister Volodymyr Novitsky (deputy industry minister since
August 2006, the quota of the BYT);

[9] Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan (deputy secretary of the National
Security and Defense Council, the quota of the BYT);

[10] Coal Minister Viktor Poltavets (coal minister in 1994-1995, the quota of
the BYT);

[11] Agriculture Minister Yuriy Melnyk (Agriculture Minister since August
2006, the quota of the BYT);

[12] Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko (MP of the Our Ukraine-People's
Self-Defense Bloc);

[13] Transport and Communications Minister Yosyp Vinsky (MP of the

BYT);

[14] Culture and Tourism Minister Vasyl Vovkun (the quota of the Our
Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc);

[15] Labor and Social Policy Minister Liudmyla Denisova (MP of the BYT);

[16] Health Minister Vasyl Kniazevych (the quota of the Our Ukraine-People's
Self-Defense Bloc);

[17] Education and Science Minister Ivan Vakarchuk (rector of Lviv
Polytekhnika University, the quota of the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense
Bloc);

[18] Construction and Regional Development Minister Vasyl Kuybida (MP

of the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc);

[19] Utility and Housing Economy Minister Oleksiy Kucherenko (MP of the

Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc);

[20] Justice Minister Mykola Onischuk (MP of the Our Ukraine-People's
Self-Defense Bloc);

[21] Family, Sport, and Youth Policy Minister Yuriy Pavlenko (MP of the

Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc);

[22] Environment Protection Minister Heorhiy Filipchuk (MP of the BYT);

[23] Emergency Situations Minister Volodymyr Shandra (the industry minister
in the government of Yulia Tymoshenko in 2005, the quota of the Our
Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc);

[24] Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Petro Krupko (MP of the BYT).

Newly appointed Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said her team was starting
the process of cleaning corruption out of government.

"We are starting the process of a government cleanup. I will do my utmost to
end forever the key role of dirty shadow money in Ukrainian political life,
end the practice of buying deputies like cattle at the market. No politician
will ever again strive to [steal] easily tens of millions," she said in a
televised address on the Inter TV channel on Thursday.

She said deputy immunity would be canceled within days. "Corrupt deputies
will be deprived of deputy powers at congresses of parties," she said.

Tymoshenko said the leadership of law enforcement agencies and auditing
agencies would be replaced. "Those striving to work will be working, those
stealing will answer for it," Tymoshenko said.

Tymoshenko also said her government will fulfill all election promises
despite the expected colossal resistance from oligarch and bureaucrats.

"We don't surrender any of our promises. We are fully responsible for each
word, each election promise," Tymoshenko said on the Inter TV channel on
Thursday evening. "We acknowledge colossal resistance from corruptive
structures, oligarchic groups, the mid-level of bureaucracy, mercenary
experts and political scientists," she said.

"They will throw billions now to stop our government and destroy the
democratic coalition," Tymoshenko said.  Tymoshenko called on Ukrainian
citizens not to trust "black propaganda."

"When I say we will do, we will fulfill, we will introduce order I mean the
team of the president, the government, and the democratic coalition at the
Verkhovna Rada. I won't let anybody destroy this unity," Tymoshenko said.

Former Premier Viktor Yanukovych and the Regions Party on December 21
announced the creation of a shadow government.

Yanukovych became the premier of the shadow government, the press service

of the oppositional government told Interfax-Ukraine.

Besides, the composition of the shadow cabinet was confirmed at a meeting of
the opposition on Friday.

The shadow cabinet will consist of Finance Minister Mykola Azarov, Economics
Minister Irena Akimova, Defense Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk, Interior Minister
Mykola Dzhyha, Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Boiko, Coal Industry Minister
Serhiy Tulub, Transport and Communications Minister Vasyl Kazak, Labor and
Social Policy Minister Mykhailo Papiev, Education and Culture Minister
Dmytro Tabachnyk, Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryschenko, Justice Minister
Oleksandr Lavrynovych, Environment Minister Anatoliy Tolstoukhov,
Agriculture Minister Viktor Slauta, Communal and Housing Industry Minister
Oleksandr Popov, Emergencies Minister Nestor Shufrych, Construction Minister
Volodymyr Yatsuba, Industrial Policy Minister Anatoliy Kinakh and Youth,
Family and Sports Minister Viktor Korzh.

Serhiy Levochkyn was appointed shadow NBU governor, Inna Bohoslovska -

head of the State Tax Administration of Ukraine.

Posts of culture and health ministries, heads of the Security Service of
Ukraine and the Customs Service remain vacant.

The press service said that these posts were secured for other participants
of the opposition.
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[return to index] [U.S.-Ukraine Business Council Monitoring Service]

========================================================
2.  UKRAINE'S NEW TYMOSHENKO CABINET

U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) Monitoring Service
Complied from a wide variety of news and other sources
Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, December 26, 2007

KYIV - Ukraine's new Cabinet of Ministers, is composed of 25 nominees of

the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko (BYUT) and NUNS (Our Ukraine - People's

Defense bloc) plus two ministers constitutionally-mandated to the president, and
four ministers for whom no party/bloc affiliation is shown in the initial
list.

While BYUT and NUNS are fairly balanced so far as numbers of ministries, the
strongest ministries are all in the hands on BYUT. Moreover, the evidence
strongly suggests that the Cabinet was composed with an eye toward keeping
the spotlight on the prime minister.

The first and most evident change in the new Cabinet, when comparing it to
its immediate predecessor, is the number of vice prime ministers, less than
half the previous number.

In addition, there is no specific designation of areas of responsibility for
either of the vice prime ministers. Judging from the backgrounds of the
VPMs, it appears possible they will serve as troubleshooters who will deal
with problems on an assignment basis.

[1] First Vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov - long-time Tymoshenko
confidant Turchynov served as Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) head in the
previous Tymoshenko government until he was forced out after Tymoshenko's
firing.

Turchynov stated publicly after his removal in an RFE/RL interview that
President Viktor Yushchenko himself ordered a halt to some of the SBU's
investigations.

This is considered of importance because of the current very bad public odor
of RosUkrEnergo, the intermediary that handles gas deliveries to Ukraine.
Turchynov said that an SBU investigation had led to plans to arrest Yuriy
Boyko, the former head of Naftohaz Ukrainy.

Turchynov stated that Yushchenko told him in mid-August 2005 to stop
"persecuting my men" and that the investigation of RosUkrEnergo was
"creating a conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin."

In many previous governments, the first vice prime minister has been given
responsibility for the fuel-energy sector but it is unclear if this pattern
will obtain in the new government. Some observers suggest that keeping
Turchynov out of this area may have been a part of the deal-cutting that
finally saw the second Tymoshenko government approved.

[2] Vice Prime Minister Ivan Vasyunyk - Vasyunyk, closely associated

with Yushchenko as deputy chief of staff in the Yushchenko premiership,

also has been near the top in the Yushchenko presidential secretariat.

He should be considered the president's top representative in the new
government. Long associated with the Institute of Reforms, Vasyunyk is

also close to FinMin Pynzenyk. Vasyunyk has been in on the action for

some time and is expected to continue his active role for the President.

[3] Vice Prime Minister Grygoriy Nemyria - considered by many one of the
brightest stars in the new Cabinet, Nemyria brings to the Cabinet a very
sharp mind and excellent political skills.

He is generally regarded as the principal architect of Tymoshenko's
parliamentary election success and is expected to have very substantial
impact on Tymoshenko's decision-making.

He has been and is likely to remain the man at Tymoshenko's elbow in
difficult situations requiring speedy and correct decisions. His
effectiveness as an international press spokesman and in dealing with
international political and trade matters is enhanced considerably by his
fluent command of English.  He is well known in Washington and

has made an excellent impression there. 

 

Hopefully VMP Nemyria will find a way for the Tymoshenko government

to solve the long-running issue between the U.S. government's Overseas

Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the government of Ukraine.

The economic development programs of OPIC has been closed for

Ukraine for some time because of the lack of response from the

government of Ukraine.

[4] Minister of Science and Education Ivan Vakarchuk - the 60 year old
Vakarchuk is highly regarded as an intellectual and education expert, hold

a Ph.D. in physics. A nominee of Our Ukraine - People defense bloc, is
expected to be a strong voice for spending on education, particularly
Ukraine's universities. A nominee of the Our Ukraine - People's Defense
bloc.

[5] Minister of Transport Yosyp Vinsky - a former member of the Rada's
Socialist bloc who was expelled for his disagreement with Moroz's actions

in 2006 that led to Yanukovych's return as prime minister.

He joins the Cabinet as a BYuT nominee and will take over the ministry is
extremely important financially and politically because of its immense
ownership of state assets and its importance in implementing some of the
promises made for Euro-2012. Since leaving the Socialists, has become a
Tymoshenko loyalist. 

 

This is a key ministry in terms of Ukraine's economic development and

strong leadership is needed.  Ukraine air safety laws do not meet

international standards and need to be brought in line with such standards

quickly.

[6] Minister of Culture and Tourism Vasyl Vovkun -- a nominee of Our
Ukraine - People defense bloc, Vovkun's agency has usually been an
underfunded backwater. However, the agency takes greater prominence

with his appointment and should attract substantially greater funding in

the buildup to Euro-2012.

 

Vovkun is very close to President Yushchenko and has produced and

managed many large functions and events for the President and the

Presidential Administration. He is a strong personality and knows how to

get things accomplished quickly....is a can-do person. Vovkun is expected

to be a very strong Minister of Culture and to bring new life and vitality to

this Ministry.

[7] Minister of the Economy Bogdan Danylyshyn - A noted academician,
Danylyshyn was head of the Council on Productive Forces Studies of the
National Academy of Sciences.

He is a co-author of a wide range of important government documents, such as
the Strategic Evaluation and Recommendations on the National Environmental
Policy of Ukraine.

Danylyshyn is thought to have been for quite some time very closely allied
with Vitaliy Hayduk, former National Security Council head and co-owner of
The Industrial Union of Donbas, which may provide a considerable insight
into the appointment of this non-political academician into one of the most
critical jobs in government.

[8] Minister of Labor and Social Policy Lydmyla Denysova - A BYuT nominee,
Denysova is close to Tymoshenko, who considers Denysova a great specialist
in pension reform. Educated as a teacher, Denysova worked as a kindergarten
teacher.

However, she went on to become one of the most influential people in the
Autonomous Republic of Crimea, serving at various times as Economy

Minister, Finance Minister, and Head of State Treasury Administration.

Also, she was involved in private business, serving as head of the
supervisory board of Gumatex corporation, a manufacturer of technological
textiles. She and the Crimean businessman and television station owner,
Andriy Senchenko, were early supporters of Tymoshenko in Crimea in 2005.

[9] Minister of Defense Yuri Yekhanurov - in one of the two ministries still
controlled directly by the president, Yekhanurov is a highly regarded
professional who has served in a wide range of top positions, including
about a year as prime minister, succeeding Tymoshenko when she was fired.

Yekhanurov has little previous experience in defense, but is considered a
highly competent manager and is a Yushchenko confidant.

[10] Minister of Health Vasyl Knyazevych - a 51 year old medical doctor -
graduate of Ivano-Frankivsk Medical University, with a long history in
hands-on medical practice with increasing levels of responsibility until he
joined the State Affairs Administration in 2005, later being promoted to
deputy head of that agency.

Said to be well-liked in the medical community, he also has a friend at
court; he has been President Yushchenko's personal physician. He is a Our
Ukraine - People's Defense nominee.

[11] Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Petro Krupko - Krupko returns to a
position he held previously - he served later as deputy justice minister -
with one of the most complete financial disclosures among nominees. He and
his immediate family is reported to have earned 575,258.19 UAH in 2007 from
a number of sources.

A BYuT, this position usually calls for someone close to the PM - Krupko
qualifies in that regard - who is capable of being the enforcer of the PM's
policies among the ministries.

[12] Minister of Reg'nl Development/Construction Vasyl Kuybida - Kuybida a
former Lviv mayor, is considered an expert on local governance. Born in
Russia into a family of political prisoners in 1958, he graduated in applied
mathematics and mechanics, and was leading engineer at "Ukrcivilproekt"
institute.

A founder of the Ukrainian Language Society and Rukh, Kiybida was elected
mayor of Lviv in 1994, re-elected in 1998.

A strong internationalist [he speaks English, Czech, Polish and Bulgarian]
and writer, he is a member of the national commission on UNESCO affairs, the
author of several books of poetry, and hold state awards from Ukraine,
Lithuania and the Vatican.

[13] Minister of Household and Utilities Infrastructure Oleksiy Kucherenko -
Born Vinnytsya, 1961, studied computer science and applied mathematics as
undergraduate before taking Ph.D. in Institute of Sociology.

Worked in increasingly responsible positions including head of  Zaporizhya
state administration; president of "AvtoKRAZ" holding company, one of
Ukraine's leading trucks manufacturers; head of State committee of Household
and Utilities; long time deputy chair of the Rada Committee of fuel and
energy complex, nuclear policy and safety. A nominee of Our Ukraine -

People's Defense bloc.

[14] Minister of Internal Affairs Yuriy Lutsenko - Born 1954, Rivne;
graduate in electrical engineering from Lviv Polytech; became chief designer
at Rivne's Hazotron plant before becoming involved in politics.

From a strong Communist family [his father Vitaly Lutsenko, had been
secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Ukraine], Lutsenko
was active in Socialists [1996 - 1998 - Secretary of Social Party of Ukraine
political council].

Became Minister of Internal Affairs as nominee of Socialists, but in 2006
broke with Socialists; later became head of Our Ukraine - Peoples Defense
bloc. Expected to be (or attempt to be) an agent of change in a ministry
that doesn't deal well with changes.

[15] Minister of Agrarian Policy Yuri Melnyk - Born 1962 in Cherkasy region;
long history of study [Ph.D. in Agrarian Science] and work in agriculture,
primarily livestock, cattle breeding and dairy; held increasingly
responsible positions in Ag Ministry; made vice prime minister in Oct 2005;
Aug 2006 made Ag Policy Minister. Only member of the Yanukovych cabinet

to remain in place....has supported severe grain export controls and other

non-market agricultural polices in the past. Hopefully this will change.

[16] Minister of Industrial Policy Volodymyr Novytskiy - Novytskiy is a
specialist in technical processing of oil and gas with a Ph.D. in the field.
Has seen long service in the ministry he now heads, moves up from a position
as deputy minister.

[17] Minister of Justice Mykola Onischuk - Born 1957, Zhytomyr region; law
grad of Kyiv's Shevchenko State University. Earned Ph.D. in legal science
and has published over 40 scientific publications on legal regulation of
economic relations.

As Rada member, he was the first Deputy Head of Verkhovna Rada Committee

on legal policy and worked repeatedly as a member of temporary investigation
commissions, including investigation of possible financial support of 2004
presidential election by Russian tycoon Borys Berezovsky.

[18] Minister of Foreign Affairs Volodymyr Ogryzko - considered one of the
most competent foreign affairs professionals in recent years, Ogryzko was
previously nominated for the job by Yushchenko, but the nomination was
rejected twice by the parliament. The turndown was considered more a jab at
Yushchenko than any question about Ogryzko's highly regarded competence.

Under Ogryzko, the foreign ministry is expected to be run in a highly
organized and professional way, doing everything possible to avoid the
political battles that sank a recent predecessor, Borys Tarasyuk. Even so,
Ogryzko will be a lightning rod for the opposition because of his strong
support of NATO membership and other westward looking initiatives.

[19] Minister of Family, Sports and Youth Yuriy Pavlenko - Born 1975 in
Kyiv; master's degree from the Presidential Academy in state governance;
laster degree in this field from North London University. Worked in wide
range of public relations and event management positions; October 1995 till
March 1997 - journalist, commentator, presenter of "TV-Tabachuk" studio.

Appointed a Minister of Family, Sports and Youth, Sept 2005; August 4,
2006 - March 1, 2007 -the second term on a Minister of Family, Sports and
Youth.

[20] Minister of Finance Viktor Pynzenyk - Was founder and long-time head of
the Institute of Reforms. Very well known and with years of previous Cabinet
experience, Pynzenyk has become closer to Tymoshenko recently and is
expected to be a loyal and effective spear carrier in this government.

He has the major advantage of being on a first name basis with many in the
United States and European governments.  Minister Pynzenyk needs to find

a way to solve Ukraine's non-payment of VAT refunds quickly. 

 

Several large agricultural trading companies for instance are owned over

$250 million with payment falling up to one year behind.  Ukraine is the

worst country in the world in terms of paying back VAT refunds.  This

needs to change immediately.

 

Hopefully Pynzenyk will be the person to find a way to stop the massive

corruption and non-repayment of VAT found today in Ukraine.

[21] Minister of Coal Industry Viktor Poltavets - Born 1937. Considered a
legendary figure person in Ukrainian coal industry; organizer of several
world records in coalmining during USSR. Holder of several academic degrees
and served as a Minister of Coalmining of USSR. Later, built up the coalmine
industry in Vietnam.

Was Ukraine's minister of coal industry in 1995-95, but resigned because of
government inaction. Since November 1999, worked as a Director of
"Luhanskdiproshakht", State project institute for projection of coal
industry enterprises.

[22] Minister of Fuel and Energy Yuriy Prodan - Born 1959; Norilsk, Russia.
Graduate in electric station engineering; followed by decades of work in all
field of electrical engineering. Most recently: 2001-2004 - The Head of
National commission of on Electric energy regulation; 2005-2006 - First
Deputy Minister of Fuel and Energy, president of Energokompaniya Ukrayiny.

Prior to becoming minister, was deputy secretary of National Security and
Defense Council (NSDC). While working in NSDC criticized the Ministry of
Yuriy Boyko for the initiative directed at electricity prices reduction for
large industrial companies.

[23] Minister of Environmental Protection Georgiy Filipchuk - Born 1950 in
Chernivtsi region. Graduate teacher of history with long experience in
classrooms. Was Yushchenko's confidant during presidential elections in
2004. Since 2005 General Director of Ukrainian scientific research center
for the issues of standardization, certification and quality.

[24] Minister of Emergencies/Chernobyl Consequences Volodymyr Shandra -

Born 1963, Ternopil region. Graduate, nuclear power-stations department of

Moscow engineering physics institute, worked his way up to lead engineer for
reactor control. From November, 1992 to June, 1998 he was a director of
Small Enterprise "Shar", Slavuta town.

June, 1998 - April, 2002 - head of the board of Slavuta Ruberoid plant. Was
Minister of Industrial Policy under the Tymoshenko and Yekhanurov
governments.
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========================================================
3.  PROFILE OF NEW UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER YULIYA
TYMOSHENKO 

BBC Monitoring research in English 11 Dec 07
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, December 11, 2007

Yuliya Tymoshenko, the charismatic Ukrainian politician who has been
appointed prime minister for the second time, has long been an uneasy ally
of President Viktor Yushchenko.

A driving force in the Orange Revolution that brought Yushchenko to power on
a pro-Western platform in 2004, Tymoshenko rapidly eclipsed Yushchenko in
popularity among the country's "orange" electorate and is widely seen as a
likely future challenger for the presidency.

Tymoshenko was nominated for the post by the Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc and the
propresidential Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defence, which together won a
narrow majority in an early parliamentary election on 30 September.

It took Tymoshenko two votes in parliament to be appointed prime minister.
She fell one vote short of the 226-vote majority on 11 December, so
Yushchenko had to nominate her for the post again. She was eventually
appointed on 18 December, with exactly 226 MPs voting in her favour.

Yushchenko appointed Tymoshenko as prime minister for the first time in
January 2005, but relations between the two were strained from the start.
Eight months later, Yushchenko dismissed Tymoshenko as well as a number of
officials from his inner circle amid mutual accusations of corruption.

As prime minister, Tymoshenko was regularly accused of populism and
employing "administrative" methods in contrast to Yushchenko's more
free-market approach.

Ahead of the 2006 election, Tymoshenko advocated a "third way" ideology
between capitalism and socialism, which she called "solidarism". More
recently, Tymoshenko's Fatherland party has built ties with the
transnational centre-right European People's Party.

After the 2006 parliamentary election, Tymoshenko looked set to regain the
prime minister's post at the head of a renewed Orange coalition. However,
the rival Party of Regions set up a coalition with left-wing parties.
Tymoshenko immediately called on Yushchenko to dissolve parliament. She
eventually achieved this goal on 2 April, when Yushchenko called the early
election.
BUSINESS CAREER 
Yuliya Tymoshenko (maiden name Hryhyan) was born in Dnipropetrovsk in 1960.
After graduating from the economics faculty of Dnipropetrovsk university,
Tymoshenko initially worked as an engineer-economist at the city's Lenin
machine-building plant. While still a teenager, she married Oleksandr
Tymoshenko. Their daughter, Yevheniya, is married to a British rock
musician.

In the late 1980s, the Tymoshenkos launched a video-distribution business in
Dnipropetrovsk. From 1991, Yuliya Tymoshenko headed the Ukrayinskyy

Benzyn (Ukrainian Petrol) Corporation, which sold fuel and lubricants in
Dnipropetrovsk Region.

Tymoshenko emerged as a major force in the country's energy sector in the
mid-1990s, when she headed United Energy Systems of Ukraine (UESU), a
company that imported Russian gas and sold Ukrainian goods in Russia.

Due to the huge revenues the company generated, Tymoshenko became known

as the "gas princess". In 1997, UESU ran into problems with Ukrainian tax
authorities. A number of the company's officials, including Oleksandr
Tymoshenko, subsequently faced prosecution for financial irregularities.
OPPOSITION TO PRESIDENT KUCHMA
In 1996, Tymoshenko entered parliament at a by-election in a Kirovohrad
Region constituency. She was initially associated with the opposition
Hromada party led by former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, who later fled
to the USA where he was found guilty of money laundering. In 1999,
Tymoshenko set up her own party called Fatherland (Batkivshchyna).

In December 1999, Tymoshenko was appointed Deputy Prime Minister for Fuel
and Energy in the reformist government of Viktor Yushchenko. Tymoshenko was
credited with doing much to clean up the country's corruption-ridden
electricity distribution market. She was sacked in January 2001 by President
Leonid Kuchma. Soon after, she was accused of fraud and spent several months
in jail, before a Kiev court ordered her release.

Tymoshenko's bloc made it into parliament in 2002. Tymoshenko often accused
Viktor Yushchenko, whose Our Ukraine bloc was also in opposition, of not
being radical enough and willing to strike a deal with the authorities. But
ahead of the November 2004 presidential election, she threw her support
behind Yushchenko.

After the Moscow-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was declared the
election winner, Tymoshenko played a key role in the Orange Revolution
protests to reverse the official result, appearing regularly alongside
Yushchenko on Kiev's Independence Square.
PRIME MINISTER 
Viktor Yushchenko's victory in a repeat election was followed by rivalry
between Tymoshenko and businessman Petro Poroshenko - another key Orange
figure - for the post of prime minister. It was eventually secured by
Tymoshenko, who said this had been the precondition of her support for
Yushchenko in the run-up to the election.

Tymoshenko's premiership failed to usher in a revival of Ukraine's economic
fortunes. On the contrary, economic growth slowed down and investment went
into a decline. As head of government, Tymoshenko was often accused of
exercising overly strict and "anti-market" regulation. Another
characteristic was her drive to review questionable privatizations of the
1990s, which made investors uneasy.

With in-fighting in the Orange team becoming ever more apparent, Yushchenko
sacked Tymoshenko's cabinet in September 2005 amid a bitter row over
allegations of corruption in the president's inner circle.
BACK IN OPPOSITION
In the run-up to the 2006 parliamentary election, Tymoshenko was highly
critical of both the government of her successor, Yushchenko-loyalist Yuriy
Yekhanurov, and the Yanukovych-led opposition.

Contrary to most predictions, Tymoshenko's bloc came second after the Party
of Regions with 22.29 per cent of the vote, well ahead of the
propresidential Our Ukraine bloc.

With Tymoshenko demanding the post of prime minister for herself and some
elements in Our Ukraine more or less openly seeking a grand coalition with
the Party of Regions, negotiations to reform an Orange coalition dragged on
for months and eventually collapsed as the Socialists crossed the floor to
join the Yanukovych's coalition.

After the formation of the coalition, Tymoshenko pushed for Yushchenko to
dissolve parliament. In a move possibly calculated to compel the president
to do so, her bloc in January 2007 voted with the coalition to overcome a
presidential veto on a new law on the Cabinet of Ministers that further
limited presidential powers.

Tymoshenko welcomed Yushchenko's dissolution decree and backed him
throughout the ensuing crisis despite evidence of continuing personal
differences. She and the majority of MPs from her faction gave up their
seats to provide the formal grounds for the dissolution of parliament.

In the 30 September election, Tymoshenko's bloc again did much better than
expected, coming a close second to the Party of Regions with 30.14 per cent
of the vote, while Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defence gained only 14.15 per
cent.
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4.  PROFILE OF NEW UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER
ARSENIY YATSENYUK 

BBC Monitoring research in English 7 Dec 07
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, December 7, 2007

In a six-year career in public service, newly-elected parliament speaker
Arseniy Yatsenyuk has worked as foreign minister, deputy head of the
presidential secretariat, Ukraine's economics minister, Crimean economics
minister, acting chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and deputy
head of the Odessa regional state administration.

Born in Chernivtsi in 1974, Yatsenyuk graduated from the law department of
Chernivtsi University and the economics department of Kiev Trade and
Economics University. He founded a law firm while still a student.

In 1998, Yatsenyuk moved to Kiev to work for Aval Bank, first as a
consultant with the lending department and then as deputy board chairman.

In late 2001, Yatsenyuk left Aval Bank to join the government of Crimean
Prime Minister Valeriy Horbatov as economics minister. Yatsenyuk was
reportedly viewed as a star of the government, winning plaudits for his
clarity of expression and organizational skills.

When Serhiy Tyhypko was appointed head of the NBU in late 2002, Yatsenyuk
was recalled to Kiev to work as his first deputy. When Tyhypko took leave to
run the presidential campaign of then Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych in
July 2004, Yatsenyuk became acting NBU head.

During the crisis that followed the disputed second round of the election,
Yatsenyuk impressed many with his performance when he managed to maintain
the stability of the country's banking system despite the political turmoil.
He insisted that the NBU would remain politically neutral and boasted that
the bank was working like a "Swiss clock" at the time.

After Tyhypko quit as NBU head, Yatsenyuk was poised to replace him, but, a
former NBU head close to President Viktor Yushchenko, Volodymyr Stelmakh,
got the post.

In February 2005, Yatsenyuk together with the NBU's deputy board chairman,
Oleksandr Shlapak, and the director of the general department, Vadym
Pushkaryov, submitted their resignations citing differences with Stelmakh
over the future development of the domestic banking system.

In March 2005, Yatsenyuk was appointed deputy to the then Odessa regional
governor, Vasyl Tsushko.

On 27 September 2005 Yatsenyuk was appointed Ukraine's economics minister.
In an interview shortly after the appointment, he said that the economy was
in a poor state and promised to do everything possible to restore stability.

As economics minister, Yatsenyuk was praised for a tough stance in talks
with the EU on anti-dumping duties on the import of Ukrainian pipes, which
resulted in the duty's decrease by 2 per cent.

Yatsenyuk also managed to talk the Russians into the complete abolition of a
similar duty. A breakthrough in the talks with the USA on Ukraine's joining
the WTO was also believed to be Yatsenyuk's success.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's faith in Yatsenyuk as a promising
politician became evident on 20 September 2006 when Yatsenyuk was appointed
deputy head of the presidential secretariat and the president's
representative to the Cabinet of Minister of Ukraine. On 25 September 2006,
Yushchenko signed a decree making Yatsenyuk responsible for supervision of
the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

Such a show of faith gave grounds to suppose that, by granting Arseniy
Yatsenyuk such powers and giving him control over spheres in which he had

no experience, the president was bringing him to the forefront of Ukrainian
politics and preparing Yatsenyuk for higher offices.

This proved to be true on 20 March 2007, when Yushchenko nominated

Yatsenyuk for the post of Ukrainian foreign minister after the ruling coalition had
twice rejected the candidacy of career diplomat Volodymyr Ohryzko. On 21
March 2007, 426 MPs in the 450-seat parliament confirmed Yatsenyuk as
foreign minister.

He is a state official of the first rank and has the rank of ambassador.

Yatsenyuk's election as parliament speaker on 4 December made him the
youngest chairman of the Supreme Council (parliament) in Ukraine's recent
history and one of the youngest parliament leaders in the world.

This fact triggered a flurry of media reports about his amazing career,
family, childhood, interests and hobbies. Yatsenyuk is married and has two
daughters. He reportedly loves cars (he drives a Skoda and a Mercedes) and
electronic gadgets, from cell phones to laptops.

He is fond of classical Ukrainian literature and speaks fluent English. He
is very modest about food and, as foreign minister, often flew economy
class. As speaker, he drives without a police escort.

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U.S.-Ukraine Business Council Website: http://www.usubc.org

========================================================
5.  PROFILE OF NEW UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VOLODYMYR

OHRYZKO 

BBC Monitoring research in English 24 Dec 07
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, Thursday, Dec 24, 2007

Volodymyr Ohryzko became foreign minister in December 2007, as his candidacy
was approved by parliament along with other ministers of Yuliya Tymoshenko's
new cabinet. Ohryzko is a pro-Western diplomat; he is reportedly disliked in
Moscow.

Ohryzko was nominated to the cabinet by President Viktor Yushchenko, as the
post of foreign minister, along with defence minister, belongs to the
presidential quota in the government.

This job is not entirely new for Ohryzko, as he briefly served as acting
foreign minister in early 2007. He was also nominated for foreign minister
by Yushchenko twice in February and March, but was rejected by parliament.

Ohryzko was born in Kiev on 1 April 1956. He graduated from the Kiev
Shevchenko state university as a translator from German in 1978, and was
employed by the Soviet Ukraine's Foreign Ministry as press attache the same
year. He has been dealing with foreign affairs ever since, with a break for
military service in the Soviet army in 1981-83.

In 1992-1996, Ohryzko served in various positions at the Ukrainian embassies
to Austria and Germany. In 1996, the then president, Leonid Kuchma, picked
him to chair the foreign policy directorate of the presidential
administration. Ohryzko was ambassador to Austria in 1999-2004, after which
he briefly served as ambassador at large.

Ohryzko earned a reputation for being a tough negotiator with Russia,
serving as first deputy prime minister since February 2005.

Moscow disapproved his statements on the need for the Black Sea Fleet to
leave Ukraine as soon as possible, as well as requests for the Russian navy
to abandon the hydrographic facilities in Ukraine which Russia has been
using for years.

Ohryzko refused to speak Russian at one meeting with visiting Russian
experts, who afterwards complained that their poor knowledge of Ukrainian
hampered normal dialogue.

This caused a diplomatic scandal, which Yushchenko's opponents in parliament
quoted as one of the reasons for their refusal to approve Ohryzko's
candidacy as Yushchenko's choice for foreign minister twice in February and
March 2007, following Borys Tarasyuk's resignation from the post of foreign
minister in January.

Pro-Yushchenko parties said that Kremlin was behind Ohryzko's failure.
"Volodymyr Ohryzko hates Russia and Russians," said pro-Kremlin commentator
Georgiy Markov. It was widely believed that the then anti-Yushchenko
majority in parliament feared that Ohryzko would zealously pursue
Yushchenko's policy of integration with the West at the expense of relations
with Russia.

Yushchenko remained faithful to his choice and nominated Ohryzko again

when control over the majority in parliament passed to his allies following the
September 2007 early parliamentary election.

Ohryzko has been serving as foreign minister since 18 December 2007. US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice congratulated Ohryzko on his appointment
by phone.

Among Ohryzko's first steps as foreign minister was the summoning of the
Russian Embassy's counsellor-envoy over the Russian Foreign Ministry's
statement saying that Ukraine was distorting history when it called the
1932-33 famine an act of genocide. Ohryzko said that the statement
"contradicted basic historical knowledge".

Ohryzko said that Ukraine has no alternative to normal relations with
Russia. He listed the increase in the price of Russian gas and Russia's
withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe

among the major challenges facing Ukraine.

Ohryzko pledged to strictly monitor the implementation by the Schengen zone
countries of the Ukraine-EU accord on visa regime liberalization. He also
said that it is too early to speak about joining NATO, but added that
Ukraine should join the NATO Membership Action Plan as soon as possible.

Ohryzko speaks German, English and Russian. He is married, with two
daughters and a son who serves at the Ukrainian Embassy to Austria.

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========================================================      
6.  PROFILE OF NEW UKRAINIAN DEFENCE MINISTER YURIY
YEKHANUROV 

BBC Monitoring research in English 24 Dec 07
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, Monday, December 24, 2007

Yuriy Yekhanurov became defence minister in December 2007, as his candidacy
was approved by parliament along with other ministers of Yuliya Tymoshenko's
new cabinet.

Yekhanurov was nominated to the cabinet by President Viktor Yushchenko, as
the post of defence minister, along with foreign minister, belongs to the
presidential quota in the government.

Yekhanurov is one of the most experienced Ukrainian politicians. In the
mid-1990s he managed the start of Ukraine's privatization campaign as head
of the State Property Fund. He served as prime minister in 2005-06, and he
topped the list of the pro-Yushchenko bloc for the 2006 parliamentary
election.

The choice of Yekhanurov for defence minister by Yushchenko was a surprise
to many, as his predecessor Anatoliy Hrytsenko, who had served in this
position since February 2005, was a successful minister, respected in the
West and supported by Yushchenko.

Yekhanurov is viewed as a counterbalance in the cabinet to Prime Minister
Yuliya Tymoshenko, whose critic he has been ever since her first appointment
as prime minister in 2005.

In 2007, Yekhanurov also initially refused to back Tymoshenko for prime
minister, arguing that the promises she made ahead of the September 2007
parliamentary election were unrealistic. Yushchenko had to personally
persuade Yekhanurov to vote in favour of Tymoshenko in parliament when the
fate of her cabinet was decided on 18 December 2007.

Yuriy Yekhanurov, an ethnic Buryat, was born in August 1948 in a village in
Russia's north-eastern Yakutia Republic. Yekhanurov went to a secondary
school in Yakutia, but later moved to Ukraine. In 1967 he graduated from a
construction school in Kiev, and in 1973 from the local Institute of
People's Economy (now the Economic University).

In 1974, he became director of a construction materials factory in Kiev.
Yekhanurov climbed the career ladder in the construction industry up to the
post of deputy chairman of Kiev's main construction directorate in 1988.

As Ukraine gained independence in 1991, Yekhanurov moved to the Cabinet of
Ministers, where he headed an economic department. In 1992-93 he served as
deputy head of the Kiev city administration's economic department, then
returned to the Cabinet of Ministers as deputy economics minister. In
1994-97 Yekhanurov steered the early stage of Ukraine's privatization as
chairman of the State Property Fund.

In February 1997 he was appointed economics minister in the cabinet of Prime
Minister Pavlo Lazarenko. In July 1997, Yekhanurov became head of the state
committee for enterprise.

Yekhanurov was elected to parliament for the first time in March 1998. He
joined the cabinet of Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko in January 2000 as
first deputy prime minister. When Yushchenko was dismissed in May 2001, the
then president, Leonid Kuchma, employed Yekhanurov as first deputy head of
his administration. But he left the administration in November 2001 to work
on the election headquarters of Yushchenko's newly formed Our Ukraine
opposition bloc.

Yekhanurov was elected to parliament again in March 2002 from Our Ukraine's
list. Yushchenko employed Yekhanurov at his election headquarters for a
second time in summer 2004, this time for the presidential polls, which
Yushchenko won. On 1 April 2005 Yushchenko appointed Yekhanurov

governor of Dnipropetrovsk Region.

Yushchenko appointed Yekhanurov as prime minister to replace Tymoshenko in
September 2005. The economy grew under Yekhanurov, following a brief
stagnation period in the middle of 2005. It was also during his premiership
that Ukraine concluded the controversial January-February 2006 accords on
gas trade with Russia, under which the Swiss-registered company RosUkrEnergo
became the monopoly supplier of gas from Russia to Ukraine.

Yekhanurov had to step down on 4 August 2006, replaced by Viktor Yanukovych
from the camp rival to Yushchenko. As Yanukovych's party secured control
over the majority in parliament in the wake of the 2006 parliamentary
election, Yekhanurov was a member of parliament's standing committee for
science and education. He has been first deputy chairman of Yushchenko's Our
Ukraine-People's Union party since March 2007.

After the 30 September 2007 early parliamentary election, Yekhanurov
supported the idea of a grand coalition involving Yanukovych's party. He
also opposed Yuliya Tymoshenko return to the post of prime minister. The
majority of his party did not support him, and Yekhanurov had to back the
party line.

Yushchenko believes that Yekhanurov will speed up reform in the army.
Speaking shortly after his appointment, Yekhanurov said he will first of all
discuss the ministry's budget with his deputies and the top brass. He said
that he will focus on resolving socioeconomic problems in the army.
Yekhanurov also stressed the need to popularize the military profession.

Yekhanurov should oversee the Ukrainian army's transition to contract-based
service as opposed to conscription. His predecessor Hrytsenko had rejected
Tymoshenko's plan to do this in 2008. Yushchenko believes this should be
possible by 2010. Yekhanurov is married, with one son.
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=======================================================
7.  PROFILE OF NEW UKRAINIAN INTERIOR MINISTER
YURIY LUTSENKO 

BBC Monitoring research in English 24 Dec 07
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, Monday, December 24, 2007

Yuriy Lutsenko became interior minister for a second time in December 2007,
as his candidacy was approved by parliament along with other ministers of
Yuliya Tymoshenko's new cabinet.

Lutsenko is leader of the People's Self-Defence movement and an ally of
President Viktor Yushchenko. He was one of the leaders of the 2004 Orange
Revolution, which brought Yushchenko to power. Lutsenko has strained
relations with the main opposition Party of Regions (PRU).

Several criminal cases were launched against PRU leaders when he became
interior minister for the first time in early 2005, and when he was
dismissed in December 2006, corruption probes were launched against him.
Neither his probes nor the probes against him were brought to conclusion, as
no substantial evidence was found.

Born in the western region of Rivne in 1964, he graduated as an electronics
engineer from the Lviv Polytechnic Institute in 1989. Lutsenko's father was
a top Communist party functionary in Rivne Region.

He served as a deputy minister for science and technology in 1997-98. And in
1998-99, he was an aide to the then Prime Minister Valeriy Pustovoytenko.

A member of the Socialist Party since 1991, Lutsenko was an aide to party
leader Oleksandr Moroz and a top member of his campaign team for the 1999
presidential election. For many years he was the editor of the opposition
newspaper Hrani Plyus. He came to national prominence during the Ukraine
Without Kuchma campaign of 2000-01.

He was elected to parliament in 2002 on the Socialist Party list. Lutsenko
was seen as a key figure in the right wing of the Socialist Party, favouring
cooperation with the non-Communist opposition including far-right parties.
Ahead of the 2004 presidential election, Lutsenko was a leading figure in
the election campaign of Oleksandr Moroz.

After Moroz was eliminated in the first round, he backed Viktor Yushchenko
in the run-off. He was one of the "field commanders" in the Orange
Revolution protests that followed the disputed second round, organizing the
protests and addressing protesters from the stage on Independence Square.

After Yushchenko's victory in the third round of the election, Lutsenko was
chosen for the post of interior minister in the first government of Yuliya
Tymoshenko. He defined his task as to clear out corruption from the
ministry.

He quickly made enemies among the supporters of the former authorities by
launching criminal investigations against Donetsk regional council head
Borys Kolesnykov and former Sumy Region governor Volodymyr Shcherban.

He also launched an investigation into the early activities of Donetsk tycoon
Rinat Akhmetov. However, no charges were filed.

Lutsenko continued to serve as interior minister in the second Orange
government of Yuriy Yekhanurov. Lutsenko did not run in the 2006 parliament
election though he did appear in campaign ads for the Socialist Party.

After the Socialists joined Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions and the
Communist in a coalition in summer 2006, Lutsenko criticized Moroz and
threatened to resign. However, Lutsenko eventually agreed to continue as
interior minister under Prime Minister Yanukovych under a deal between the
president and prime minister.

Lutsenko's relations with Yanukovych were strained. Yanukovych regularly
criticized him for combining his post with political activity. Parliament
set up an ad hoc commission to investigate allegations of corruption in the
police force in a critical newspaper article.

Lutsenko was accused of illegally distributing pistols and of using
government flights for private purposes. Lutsenko was eventually dismissed
by parliament on 1 December 2006.

Several weeks later, Lutsenko announced the setting up of the People's
Self-Defence movement. He said that the movement was intended to protect
individuals against the government's economic policy. Lutsenko admitted that
the movement was financed by Davyd Zhvaniya, a Kiev-based tycoon who also
helped organize the Orange Revolution protests.

Lutsenko held a series of rallies across the country, criticizing the
Yanukovych government. Prosecutors meanwhile carried out a high-profile
search of his Kiev flat, saying they were investigating allegations of abuse
of office and reports that Lutsenko had an Israeli passport. The
investigation produced no result and was later suspended by a court ruling.

In April 2007, Lutsenko joined Tymoshenko and the propresidential Our
Ukraine party to urge Yushchenko to dissolve parliament. He topped the Our
Ukraine-People's Self-Defence bloc list for the 30 September 2007 early
parliamentary election. Together with Our Ukraine leader Vyacheslav
Kyrylenko, Lutsenko toured Ukraine for several months, drumming up support
for their bloc.

Lutsenko wanted to return to the post of interior minister, saying that he
would resume his crusade against corruption. The parliamentary majority of
Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defence and the Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc

approved his return on 18 December 2007.

Lutsenko on 22 December announced that police should focus on five
priorities under his leadership: introducing order on motorways, illegal
migration fighting, eliminating impunity and helping prosecutors to bring
criminal cases to conclusion, efficient use of special police units and
interior troops to guard public order and prevention of confrontation
between regular police and interior troops, which are part of the Interior
Ministry.

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========================================================
8.  WHO IS WHO IN TYMOSHENKO'S GOVERNMENT?

Ukrayinska Pravda, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, December 23, 2007

[1] First Vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov (BYuT) was born on March
31, 1964 in Dnipropetrovsk. He graduated from Dnipropetrovsk Metallurgic
Institute, Department of Technology. Mr. Turchynov worked at Kryvorizhstal.
He is an old ally of Yulia Tymoshenko. They used to have a common business
in Dnipropetrovsk.

In 1993 he was appointed advisor in economy issues to PM Leonid Kuchma.

Then he became Vice President of Ukrainian Union of Industrialist and
Entrepreneurs. In 1994 Mr. Turchynov was creating Hromada party together
with Pavlo Lazarenko.

In 1998, he was elected to parliament under Hromada party but after scandal
around Mr. Lazarenko, he left the faction together with Yulia Tymoshenko's
Batkivshchyna (Motherland). Mr. Turchynov worked in the budget committee.

Since 2002 he has been one of the most active opposition politicians. After
Viktor Yushchenko's victory at the presidential election in 2005 Mr.
Turchynov was appointed the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

In 2005 he was fired together with Yulia Tymoshenko's government. In
2006-2007 Mr. Turchynov was in charge of the BYuT campaign headquarters.

[2] Vice Prime Minister Ivan Vasyunyk (NU-NS) was born on July 7, 1959 in
Lviv region.

In 1981 he graduated from Ivan Franko National University in Lviv,
engineering department. In the second half of the 1990s he was advisor to
Viktor Pynzennyk and PM Viktor Yushchenko.

In April 2003 he was elected to parliament under Our Ukraine list. In 2005,
after Viktor Yushchenko's victory at the presidential election Mr. Vasyunyk
was appointed the First Deputy Head of the President's Secretariat where he
worked ever since.

[3] Vice Prime Minister Hryhoriy Nemyrya (BYuT) was born on April 5, 1960.

He graduated from Donetsk University, the department of history. Mr. Nemyrya
is associate professor, Ph. D. in History, MP of the two convocations: in
2006 and 2007. In 1996-1998 he was a Vice-Chancellor of Kyiv Mohyla Academy,
head of Vidrodzhennya (Renaissance) Fund. In 2005, Mr. Nemyrya was appointed
Mrs. Tymoshenko's advisor.

In 2006 he was elected to parliament under the BYuT list. Mr. Nemyrya was in
charge of international relations of the bloc and organized Mrs. Tymoshenko
trips to foreign countries.

[4] Minister of Education Ivan Vakarchuk (NU-NS) was born on March 6, 1947
in the village of Stari Bratushany, Moldova.

In 1970 he graduated from Ivan Franko State University, department of
physics. In 1970-1973 he was attending post-graduate courses at the
Institute of Theoretical Physics. In 1990 he became Chancellor of Ivan
Franko State University in Lviv.

Mr. Vakarchuk has completed over 200 scientific works. He is the father of
Ukrainian rock-n-roll icon Svyatoslav Vakarchuk.

[5] Minister of Transport Yosyp Vinsky (BYuT) was born on January 2, 1956

in the village of Loshkivtsi, Khmelnytsk region.

He graduated from the agricultural college. Besides, he was educated at the
Higher Party School and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of
Ukraine. In 1991 joined the Socialist Party of Ukraine. Mr. Vinsky chaired
Khmelnytsk regional branch of SPU. He has always been considered a grey
eminence in the party.

In July 2006 he left the party after betrayal of Oleksandr Moroz and
formation of the Anticrisis coalition.

[6] Minister of Culture and Tourism Vasyl Vovkun (NU-NS) was born in 1957 in
the village of Mashchonyn. He graduated from Lviv Studio of Theatre Arts and
Karpenko Karyi State Institute of Drama Art in Kyiv.

In 1988 he joined Ukrainian Actors' Association. In 1994, Mr. Vovkun became
a director at the Ukrainian State Centre of Culture Initiatives. He has been
awarded as the best director of music concerts and mass shows in Ukraine.

[7] Minister of Economic Bohdan Danylyshyn (BYuT) is a Doctor of Science,
Economics.

Mr. Danylyshyn is the author of over 150 scientific works concerning
formation of a regional policy, economics and exploration of nature
resources.

[8] Minister of Labor and Social Policy Ludmyla Denysova (BYuT). She is 47.
Mrs. Denysova was MP in the 5th and 6th Verkhovna Rada. She was the Minister
of Finance of the Crimean Republic.

In 2000 Mrs. Denysova was detained charged with power abuse. Soon, this
criminal case was closed. Mrs. Denysova became a devoted fighter against the
Prosecutor General's Office, State Tax Service accusing these state
organizations of destroying financial system in the Crimea.

Yulia Tymoshenko introduced Mrs. Denysova as an ardent supporter of reforms
in the pension system.

[9] Minister of Defense Yuriy Yekhanurov (president's quota) was born on
August 23, 1948 in Yakutia. He graduated from Kyiv Building College, Kyiv
Institute of National Economy, postgraduate courses.

He is a doctor of Economy Sciences. In 2002, he became the professor at
Taras Shevchenko National University.

In 1998 Mr. Yekhanurov was elected to the Verkhovna Rada. From 1999 to 2001
he occupied the office of the First Vice Prime Minister in Viktor Yushchenko's
government.

After discharge of Mr. Yushchenko's government Yuriy Yekhanurov became the
First Deputy Head of the President's Administration. In November 2001, Mr.
Yekhanurov was appointed presidential envoy in the matters for the
Administrative Reform.

In 2002, when Our Ukraine won the parliamentary election Yuriy Yekhanurov
headed parliamentary committee for industrial policy and private business.
In March 2005, Mr. Yekhanurov became the head of Our Ukraine executive
committee.

On September 20, 2005 he was appointed the PM, however sacked in early 2006
because of shady gas talks with Russia.
BYuT was one of the factions that initiated discharge of Mr. Yekhanurov's
government. Introducing her government, Yulia Tymoshenko mentioned Yuriy
Yekhanurov only in the end of her speech, saying that he was the president's
quota.

[10] Minister of Health Care Vasyl Knyazevych (NU-NS). He was born in March
1956, graduated from Ivano-Frankivsk Medical Institute. Mr. Knyazevych used
to work as an emergency doctor and the chief doctor at all levels.

In 2005, he was appointed the head of health care department of the state
executive secretariat.

[11] Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Petro Krupko (BYuT).
A 49 year old Mr. Krupko used to occupy this position in 2005. According to
Mrs. Tymoshenko, he was an ideal minister.
In 2007, he represented the BYuT in the Central Election Commission.

[12] Minister of Regional Development and Building Vasyl Kuibida (NU-NS) was
born on May 8, 1958 in Komi, Russian Federation. Mr. Kuibida graduated from
Ivan Franko State University in Lviv, department of applied mathematics and
mechanics, Institute of State Governance and Self Government at the Cabinet
of Ministers of Ukraine.

He has been elected the mayor of Lviv several times since 1994. In 2000-2002
he was a Vice President of the Congress for Local and regional Governments
of Europe.

[13] Minister in Matters of Housing and Public Utilities Oleksiy Kucherenko
(NU-NS) was born on April 3, 1961 in Vinnytsya. He graduated from Taras
Shevchenko State University in Kyiv, the department of Cybernetics. Mr.
Kucherenko was MP in the Verkhovna Rada of three convocations.

In 1995, he was the head of Supervisory Council in Poltava ore-dressing and
processing enterprise. In 2005 he became the head of the State Committee

for housing and utilities matters.

[14] Minister of Internal Affairs Yuriy Lutsenko (NU-NS). Mr. Lutsenko
participated in the protest action "Ukraine without Kuchma", "Rise, Ukraine".
Also, he is known as one of the Maidan leaders.

He was born on December 14, 1964 in Rivne. Mr. Lutsenko graduated from Lviv
Polytechnic Institute. In 1998-1999 he was advisor to PM Pustovoitenko. Mr.
Lutsenko used to be close to Oleksandr Moroz in 1999-2002.

In 2005 he headed Interior Ministry in Mrs. Tymoshenko's government. In 2007
he headed People's Self-Defense Party.

[15] Minister of Agrarian Policy Yuriy Melnyk (NU-NS) was born on August 5,
1962 in Cherkasy region. He graduated from Agricultural Academy.

In 2002-2003 Mr. Melnyk was the Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry for
Agriculture. He used to work as a Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy.

In 2007, Mr. Melnyk was appointed the Minister of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine.

[16] Minister of Industrial Policy Volodymyr Novytsky was born in 1947.
He is Doctor of Engineering, specialist in oil and gas processing.
He has been Deputy Minister of Industrial Policy since 1992. In 2002-2003
Mr. Novytsky was advisor to President Kuchma.

[17] Minister of Justice Mykola Onishchuk (NU-NS) was born on October 26,
1957 in the village of Dolynivka, Zhytomyr region. In 1982 he graduated from
Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv, legal department.

Member of the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. He refused to join
the Anticrisis coalition with Anatoliy Kinakh.

[18] Minister of Foreign Affairs Volodymyr Ohryzko (president's quota).
Mr. Ohryzko was born on April 1, 1956 in Kyiv. In 1978 he graduated from
Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv, department of foreign affairs.

In 1996-1999 he headed the department of foreign affairs and foreign policy
at the President's Administration.

In February 2005, he was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister. In 2006 the
Anticrisis coalition refused to support his candidature for the position of
the Foreign Minister.

[19] Minister of Family, Youth and Sport Yuriy Pavlenko (NU-NS) was born

on March 20, 1975 in Kyiv. In 1997 he graduated from Taras Shevchenko
University, department of history. He is a member of Our Ukraine since 2002.
In 2005, Mr. Pavlenko was appointed Minister of Family, Youth and Sport
Yuriy Pavlenko in Mrs. Tymoshenko government.

[20] Minister of Finance Viktor Pynzennyk (BYuT). Mr. Pynzennyk is the head
of the Reforms and Order Party.

He worked in different governments as Vice PM and advisor for economy issues
to President Kuchma. He has been elected to the Verkhovna Rada for four
times.

[21] Minister of Coal Industry Viktor Poltavets is a legendary character in
the coal industry.

He is an organizer of several world records in production of coal. In 1993-

1994 he was a freelance advisor to the president. Since 1999 Mr. Poltavets

has been working as a director of the major state planning enterprises.

[22] Minister of Fuel and Energy Yuriy Prodan (NU-NS) was born on January
27, 1959 in Norilsk, Russia.

From 1985 to 1999 he was working in the energy company KyivEnegro.
In 2001-2005 he was the head of the National Commission for Energy Issues.
During 2005-2006 Mr. Prodan was the First Deputy Fuel and Energy Minister.
Mr. Prodan used to be advisor to Viktor Yushchenko and the First Deputy
Secretary of the National Security ad Defense Council.

[23] Minister of Environmental Protection Heorhiy Filipchuk
Mr. Filipchuk was the head of the BYuT regional election staff in Vinnytsya.
He used to be Viktor Yushchenko's representative at the presidential
election-2004.

[24] Minister for Emergency Matters of Protection of People from the
Consequences of Chernobyl Disaster Vasyl Shandra
In 2002 he was elected to parliament as a member of Viktor Yushchenko

Bloc.

Mr. Shandra was the Minister of Industrial Policy in Tymoshenko's and
Yekhanurov's governments.
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LINK: http://www.pravda.com.ua/en/news/2007/12/23/9641.htm
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