Ukrainian parliament speaker calls for unity to overcome political crisis

Vladimir Groisman, speaker of the Ukrainian Supreme Rada (Parliament), called on Monday for unity between the country’s president, the government and the legislative authority to overcome the current Ukrainian political crisis.

Groisman posted on social networks that he will propose that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko submit an initiative to organize round table meetings for finding solutions.

The speaker emphasized that all parties should agree on a plan of action to prioritize six to 10 tasks.

Ukraine has been undergoing a political crisis since the parliamentary coalition supporting the cabinet of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk collapsed last week.

This crisis has caused deep concern among the European partners of Ukraine, to the extent that the foreign ministers of Germany and France will arrive on Monday in Kiev to discuss the situation with the Ukrainian authorities.

Last week, two coalitions, including Yulia Tymoshenko’s Batkivshchyna party, left the ruling parliamentary alliance.

According to the constitution of Ukraine, the government should be supported by a formal association of political groups with at least 226 seats.

If the coalition ends, the government could remain in office pending a new parliamentary majority to be formed within a maximum period of 30 days; otherwise early parliamentary elections must be called.