Yuschenko hoping that Lytvyn's election as speaker may help restore parliament's work

13:45

Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko has welcomed the election of the new Verkhovna Rada chairman ,Volodymyr Lytvyn, the presidential press service reported on Wednesday.

"I hope that the election of such an experienced and prudent politician as Volodymyr Mykhailovych [Lytvyn] will allow restore the work of the supreme legislative body of the state," Yuschenko said.

"I would like to congratulate the parliament with its first step on the path towards restoring the Verkhovna Rada's ability to work. Each day of political fever cost the country and each family a great deal. The working parliament should drastically raise the quality of legislative provision of the anti-crisis policies and set a rigid control over its implementation, and over the activities of the government in the first place," the president said.

The head of state called on MPs to immediately start considering and passing anti-crisis bills and the bill on the draft budget for 2009.