The Ukrainian Parliament adopted the law on the principles of domestic and foreign policy at about midnight yesterday. A total of 259 MPs voted in favor of the document. It sets obtaining membership of the European Union and maintaining good-neighbourly relations with Russia as aims.

Vitaliy Kurylo, an MP of the opposition Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, has joined the ruling Stability and Reforms coalition.

A member of the main ruling Party of Regions, MP Vadym Kolesnichenko, has said that his party voted today in favor of an opposition proposal to dismiss the deputy prime minister for humanitarian issues, Volodymyr Semynozhenko, because he failed to cope with his duties. The 5 Kanal TV channel showed Kolesnichenko commenting on Semynozhenko's dismissal in Parliament after the vote held today.

The Ukrainian Parliament today voted to dismiss Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Issues Volodymyr Semynozhenko.

The Ukrainian Parliament today appointed Mykola Zlochevskiy the new minister of environment. His candidacy was submitted in person to Parliament by Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov. A total of 259 MPs voted in favor.

The bill (No 6601) adopted today on the electoral system to be used at local elections in Ukraine stipulates that only local branches of political parties can nominate candidates to run in the elections to the Crimean Parliament, regional, district and city councils as well as district councils in cities. Candidates for village councils can be nominated by local branches of political parties and independently. A candidate can be nominated to run for mayor only by a local branch of a political party.

The Ukrainian Parliament today adopted a bill (No 6601) in its first reading on the electoral system to be used at local elections in Ukraine. The draft bill was tabled by Oleksandr Yefremov, an MP of the pro-presidential Party of Regions faction. It proposes a mixed system of proportional voting and first-past-the-post voting. A total of 246 MPs voted in favor of the bill.