Arseniy Yatseniuk nominated to lead new government as Ukraine prime minister (VIDEO)

Tens of thousands of people crowded to hear the choices, who face confirmation votes in parliament on Feb. 27. The proposed candidates represent a collection of veteran politicians and new civic activists to  lead Ukraine’s government into the post-Yanukovych and post-Mykola Azarov era. 

The crowd wasn’t happy with the two men who may become the nation’s top two leaders.

Interim President Oleksander Turchynov, named speaker of parliament and given the powers of head of state after Yanukovych fled and was impeached on Feb. 22, got booed when he took the stage.

Arseniy Yatseniuk, who is expected to be officially nominated in parliament on Feb. 27 as prime minister, also received boos, suggesting more political conflict ahead if he is confirmed by the lawmakers. No other prime minister candidates were proposed.

Head of the opposition Batkivshchyna Party Arseniy Yatsenyuk (R) holds the hand of newly freed Ukrainian opposition icon Yulia Tymoshenko as she arrives to speak at Independence Square on Feb. 22, moments after parliament voted to hold early presidential elections in May. Tymoshenko received a rapturous welcome on Independence Square. “You are heroes, you are the best of Ukraine,” she told the 50,000-strong crowd before breaking down in tears. The latest developments in the ex-Soviet nation’s three-month political crisis came after protesters took control of Kiev’s charred city centre and seized Yanukovych’s lavish residence on a day of dramatic twists and turns. AFP PHOTO/ SERGEI SUPINSKY

Politicians and civic activists are scrambling to quickly form a new unity government in order to negotiate for financial bailouts from the West and/or Russia. Ukraine’s economy is weakening by the day and the nation is having trouble servicing its multibillion-dollar debts. The national currency dipped to a record low Hr 10.5 to the dollar before rebounding slightly by the end of the day. More devaluation is expected as the nation’s hard-currency reserves dipped to a perilously low $15 billion in an economy that only has $200 billion in gross domestic product.

Turchynov, a former deputy prime minister and loyalist to ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, is seen as an old, tired face of Ukrainian politics by many of his critics. 

He is also a member of parliament in the Batkivschyna Party. But he was combative in answering the boos, saying: “You may criticize the parliament, but you have no other authority now except it,” Turchynov said.

Olha Bohomolets, a physician who rocketed to fame and popularity by treating EuroMaidan victims during Ukraine’s three-month-old revolution, proved to be a more popular choice for deputy prime minister of humanitarian affairs. She pledged to cleanse government of corruption or quit. “If I see any corrupt schemes, I will com to Maidan and will head Maidan’s medical service again,” Bohomolets said. 

Many other candidates also were cheered or got polite applause.

Here is the lineup to be voted on Feb. 27 by parliament for confirmation:

Prime Minister – Arseniy Yatseniuk (ex-foreign minister)

Deputy Prime Minister on European Union integration – Borys Tarasiuk (ex-foreign minister)

Deputy Prime Minister on Humanitarian Policy – Olga Bohomolets

Deputy Prime Minister on Regional Development – Volodymyr Hroisman (Vinnytsia mayor)

Justice Minister – Pavlo Petrenko

Minister of Finance – Oleksandr Shlapak

Minister of Economy -Pavlo Sheremeta

Minister of Foreign Affairs – Andriy Deshchytsia

Minister of Culture – Yevhen Nischuk

Minister of Health – Oleh Musiy

Minister of Sports and Youth – Dmytro Bulatov

Minister of Interior – Arsen Avakov

Minister of Cabinet of Ministers – Ostap Semerak

Minister of Energy – Yury Prodan 

Minister of Education – Serhiy Kvit (president of Kyiv Mohyla Academy)

Secretary of National Security and Defence Council – Andriy Parubiy; deputy, Viktoria Siumar

Minister of Agriculture – Oleksandr Myrny

Minister of Defense – (to be named by Afgan veterans)

Minister of Infrastructure – (under negotiations)

Anti-Corruption Bureau – Tetyana Chornovol

Committee on Lustration – Ihor Sobolev

The following is a video from Friday, Feb. 21, of EuroMaidan protester Volodymyr Parasiuk’s plea to political opposition leaders to demand Viktor Yanukovych’s resignation as president by 10 a.m. on Feb. 22 or else EuroMaidan demonstrators would take up arms to oust him. Yanukovych fled overnight and hasn’t been since since.