Yanukovich dismisses 2 vice-prime ministers

Vice Prime Minister Vladimir Sivkovich has been offered the position of deputy secretary of the National Security and Defence Council. Vice Prime Minister Viktor Slauta has been offered to become a presidential adviser, the presidential press service said.

In March 2010, Sivkovich was appointed vice-prime minister in the government of Nikolai Azarov to oversee the Defence Ministry, the Interior Ministry and other law enforcement agencies.

Slauta was responsible for the agro-industrial sector.

Under the Constitution of 1996, the prime minister can have three deputies. There were five of them in the previous Azarov government.

Meanwhile, Yanukovich has ordered members of the government and the heads of central executive bodies to continue to carry out their functions.

Yanukovich signed a decree that gave the government a month for exploring the possibility of "optimising the structure of the system of executive bodies, eliminate duplicating functions and reduce administrative personnel and their expenditures," the presidential press service said.

An updated version of the law "On the Cabinet of Ministers", which entered into force on October 13, is consistent with the requirements contained in the Constitution of 1996 and allows the president to form the government and dismiss the prime minister without the parliament's approval; Kazinform cites ITAR-TASS.

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