Svoboda faction refuses to recognize Sorkin’s appointment as NBU Governor

“We won’t recognize such an illegal appointment of NBU governor,
period,” Svoboda’s faction leader Oleh Tianhybok said at parliament on
Friday.

According to him, evidence of MPs pushing voting buttons for their colleagues from other factions has been found.

“Have a conscience, Mr. Chairman [Rybak]. This concerns our image
before society,” Tiahnybok said addressing to the parliamentary speaker
Volodymyr Rybak.

As reported, at its morning sitting today the Verkhovna Rada
appointed Ihor Sorkin governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
Sorkin had been working as acting head of the central bank since late
December 2012. In particular, 187 members of the Regions Party
parliamentary faction, 31 MPs from the Communist Party of Ukraine
faction, and 13 independent MPs voted for the appointment. The
opposition factions abstained from the vote.

During the voting, several scuffles occurred between members of the Regions Party and the opposition factions.

Before the vote, members of the opposition factions came up to the
seats of the Regions Party in the parliament to observe the individual
voting. After the vote, they said that some of the Regions Party faction
MPs voted on behalf of other MPs.

The opposition said it is to create an inquiry panel to look into the
illegal appointment of governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU)
if evidence of illegal voting is found.