Ukrainian Finance Minister Sacked From Office On Prime Minister’s Order

Ukraine’s PM asks lawmakers to dismiss finance minister

Ukrainian lawmakers have approved the dismissal of the country’s finance minister, a respected reformer backed by the West.

Naija News understands that a total of 254 lawmakers in the 450-seat parliament supported a motion submitted by Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman to sack Oleksandr Danylyuk.

The move came soon after the parliament passed a bill on a long-awaited anti-corruption court, whose creation is a key condition in order for the IMF to distribute more aid to the country.

Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman also revealed that he has asked Parliament to relieve Finance Minister Oleksandr Danylyuk of his duties. Groysman argued that Danylyuk’s letter to ambassadors of the G-7 top industrialized nations could undermine Ukraine’s discussions with the West.

Hroysman on June 6 accused Danylyuk of spreading “distorted information amid our international partners.” Meanwhile, Danylyuk alleged that he had been asked to support “political corruption” or to quit.

The two officials have been at odds since Hroysman rejected Danylyuk’s candidate for deputy minister in charge of tax policy on May 23. Danylyuk then accused Hroysman of favoring candidates chosen by President Petro Poroshenko’s inner circle and wrote a letter describing his grievances to the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized countries.

Danylyuk, 42, has been known for his anti corruption measures meant to reform Ukraine’s fiscal and customs services.

Earlier on June 7, lawmakers stood up and applauded in the Verkhovna Rada after a draft law on the Supreme anti corruption Court won the support of 315 deputies in its second reading.