Ukraine's parliament on Thursday approved President Viktor Yanukovych's ally Mykola Azarov as prime minister, with 242 deputies voting for the approval, with a minimum of 226 needed, RIA Novosti reported.
Yanukovych earlier in the day formally proposed to parliament the candidacy of Azarov after the new parliamentary coalition in Ukraine nominated him for the post.
The new coalition has 235 deputies and comprises the Party of Regions, now temporarily led by Azarov, the Communists, the bloc of parliamentary speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn, and several independent deputies.