Ukrainian PM resigns, parliament revokes controversial laws

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigned from his post on Tuesday and the parliament cancelled some controversial laws in moves to ease the two-month political standoff rocking the country. "Today the most important is to preserve Ukraine's unity and integrity. This is much more important that anyone's personal plans or ambitions. That is why I've made this decision," Azarov said in a press statement on his resignation carried by the Ukrainian News Agency. Azarov added that he will press President Viktor Yanukovych to accept his resignation to help create an additional opportunity for socio-political compromise and for peaceful conflict settlement to the crisis. He underlined that crisis is threatening Ukraine's economic and social development as well as the national unity among people. He said the government, during the strife, was exerting efforts for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, for keeping the economy and the social protection system running in extreme conditions. Azarov was leading the cabinet since December 2012. Before, he was leading the government from March 11, 2010; he was acting premier during the period 3-13 December, 2012. The resignation took place on the background of violent clashes between protesters and police since late November 2013 after the government rebuff of an association agreement with the European Union. The Parliament, meanwhile, abolished nine out of the 12 controversial laws it had passed on January 16 including an anti-protest law. In response, protesters in Kiev ended their sit-in in justice and energy ministries buildings. In first reaction, Leader of the opposition Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms (UDAR) Party Vitali Klitschko described the decisions as face-saving moves by the president and the cabinet. He stressed that the all the cabinet members have to go and the government have to shoulder the responsibility the standoff and the following events.