13/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, 13 December, the Ukrainian parliament ratified the election of prime minister Mykola Azarov (who had resigned) during a very heated session. Azarov is a loyal bureaucrat to president Viktor Yanukovych. 252 MPs supported his candidacy. A minimum of 226 votes was required to obtain re-election. The vote on Azarov's candidacy, which should have taken place on Wednesday, had been postponed because of the violent confrontations at Parliament between opposition and government MPs, which continued on Thursday. The presidential seat and rostrum were also blocked. (CG/transl.fl)