Ukrainian President Rejects Prime Minister's Resignation Amid 'Backtalk Controversy'

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyun-ui Cho] The President of Ukraine has rejected the resignation of the Prime Minister, who sparked a controversy with remarks made behind his back.

According to AFP on the 17th (local time), President Zelensky met with Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk, who had submitted his resignation that day, and stated, "I have decided to give the Prime Minister and the Cabinet a second chance."

Earlier, Prime Minister Honcharuk had offered his resignation after a secretly recorded meeting audio was released, in which he said, "The President has a very childish level of understanding of the economy."

Although President Zelensky expressed discomfort over the Prime Minister's 'behind-the-back remarks' controversy, he rejected the resignation a day after it was submitted. He urged Prime Minister Honcharuk to strengthen cooperation with the parliament.

Ukraine's political circles analyzed that President Zelensky's refusal to accept Prime Minister Honcharuk's resignation was a predictable step. Removing Honcharuk, a supporter of free economic reforms, would be a burden on the administration. Honcharuk, a lawyer by profession, was tasked with reviving the economy plagued by corruption.

Timothy Ash, a Ukrainian economic expert, told AFP, "Accepting the Prime Minister's resignation would have sent a very negative message to reformers."

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