Ukraine's Parliament yesterday passed a no-confidence motion forcing Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to resign, in a move that will bolster the powers of new President Viktor Yanukovych.
A majority of 243 deputies voted for the no-confidence motion brought by the Regions Party, led by Mr Yanukovych, who defeated Ms Tymoshenko in presidential elections last month.
At least 226 out of the 450 deputies in the Verkhovna Rada had been needed to back the no-confidence motion. Despite her election defeat, Ms Tymoshenko had until now clung onto power.
The charismatic Ms Tymos-henko, Prime Minister since Dec-ember 2007, earlier told Parliament that she and her government would quit if the motion were passed.
"If the vote to oust the govern-ment is passed, our government will quit its offices immediately. Our political force will go into opposition at once," she said.
Ms Tymoshenko made no fresh comment after the vote but one of her MPs, Sergiy Pashinsky, told the Ukrainska Pravda online newspaper she had announced to her faction that she would resign as Prime Minister in one or two days.
Under Ukraine's constitution, the government is now automatically required to resign although it can stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new government is appointed.
Ms Tymoshenko's majority had crumbled after the elections due to defections. Seven MPs from her own Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT) backed the no-confidence motion along with more than 30 lawmakers from her former coalition partners.
Ms Tymoshenko - who had alleged that Mr Yanukovych's election victory was marred by mass falsifications - warned in her address to Parliament that the new President posed a "direct threat to the territorial integrity of our country."
She also warned Mr Yanukovych - reportedly a keen sportsman - that he must prepare to put hobbies to one side.
"If Yanukovych thinks that in a week he will be able to quietly go play golf and tennis while his people tear up the strategic assets of the state I can say that today his golf and tennis have come an end. Every day he will have to answer in front of the country and the opposition. Every day we will keep our fingers on the pulse," she added.
Despite Ms Tymoshenko's allega-tions, international observers have said that the February 7 elections were free and fair.
The Regions Party now has 30 days to form its own governing coalition. Should it fail, Mr Yanukovych has the right to dissolve Parliament and call a snap election.
Ukrainian media have speculated that Mr Yanukovych could install a close ally like the Regions Party's Azarov as prime minister. But he may also be tempted by a figure from outside his party with broader appeal, like younger politicians Sergiy Tigipko or Arseniy Yatseniuk, who came third and fourth respectively in the presidential elections.
Adding to the frenzied specula-tion, top Yanukovych aide Anna German even suggested that former president Viktor Yush-chenko would also make a good prime minister.