Ukraine's PM to report to parliament amid growing discontent

KIEV, December 11. /TASS/. Rumors about Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s dismissal could soon become reality as Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, prepares to listen to his report on the cabinet’s performance this year.

After Friday’s report, the one-year immunity period for Yatsenyuk’s government during which neither the prime minister nor members of the government could be dismissed will expire.

A year ago, Yatsenyuk called the new team a "technocratic government" and a "government of kamikaze" and announced the ambitious plans of carrying out radical reforms.

Ukraine’s experts said over the past year the government has managed to fulfill only a few promises. The cabinet has carried out the necessary budget changes and agreed on restructuring the state debt with private creditors. But so far, no reforms have been launched.

The Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) faction of former PM Yulia Tymoshenko has unanimously signed a draft resolution of the parliament on dismissing the cabinet of ministers.

MPs of the Opposition Bloc and all the deputy groups, a number of non-affiliated deputies and even the representatives of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction have signed the document.

According to Ukraine’s sociological group Rating, in September 2014 some 48% of respondents backed the cabinet of ministers and another 42% did not support its policies. This September, the figure stood at 13% and 83%, respectively.

Since Yatsenyuk assumed office in late February last year, the rating of his People’s Front party has fallen from 22% to 2.7%.

Trade unions and some Ukrainian parties demand Yatsenyuk’s resignation

Trade unions and a number of political parties are demanding the resignation of the Ukrainian government headed by Arseniy Yatsenyuk. More than 1,000 of their representatives are holding a rally outside the Verkhovna Rada building where the premier will review the government’s annual performance later in the day.

Among those who gathered on Kiev’s Constitution Square are activists of several trade unions, members of the far right Svoboda party and the Local Self-Government Party. They are carrying posters with the slogans "Yatsenyuk, go away!", "We demand the government’s resignation!" and "Arseniy Petrovich is second Yanukovych".

The parliament building and the entire government district are guarded by National Guard members and commandos.

Yatsenyuk earlier requested three hours for a review of the Cabinet’s performance in the Verkhovna Rada, but the agenda provides for 60 minutes within the framework of the traditional Friday’s Question Hour for the government. "This is not a report, this is a show," member of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction Nikolay Tomenko told reporters. "This is Yatsenyuk’s press briefing with questions and answers, so we can hardly expect the government’s resignation today," he said.

Radical Party leader Oleh Lyashko promised to block the Verkhovna Rada rostrum and presidium, if there is no "full-fledged government performance review."