Yuriy Yekhanurov - Minister of Defense of Ukraine

Minister of Defense of Ukraine

As part of the President quota of Ministers in the Ukrainian cabinet appointed on December 18, 2007 Yekhanurov became Minister of Defense in the second Tymoshenko cabinet. Accusing him of corruption Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko turned to President Yushchenko with a request to dismiss Yekhanurov as Defense Minister of Ukraine on May 20, 2009. Yekhanurov immediately denied the accusations and told journalists "Decisions must be made every day. But, not to be busy with budget problems, they organize such shows as today". on May 26, 2009 President Yushchenko stated he had no intend to dismiss Yekhanurov claiming “there is nothing but a political attack and a staff war”. According to Yushchenko similar political attacks had been launched against the foreign minister, State Property Fund head, and the National Bank of Ukraine governor. The same day Yekhanurov threatened to sue Prime Minister Tymoshenko "to defend his honor and dignity", if she did not apologize, and if Supervision and Revision Department head Mykola Syvulskiy did not resign. June 5, 2009 the Ukrainian parliament dismissed Yuriy Yekhanurov as defense minister. 363 MPs out of the 398 registered in the parliament's session hall voted for his dismissal, includeding 161 MPs of the Party of Regions, 152 MPs of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko, four MPs of the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc, 27 MPs of the Communist Party, and 19 MPs of the Bloc of Lytvyn. Yekhanurov challenged his dismissal in court, but the Kyiv District Administrative Court rejected his relevant appeal on July 9, 2009.