Ukraine parliament blocks Zelenskiy's energy minister choice in surprise rebuke

Ukrainian lawmakers on Tuesday failed to approve outgoing defence chief Denys Shmyhal as energy minister, a surprise wartime rebuke of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as he attempts to shake up key sectors at a critical moment in the war.

Shmyhal, who served as prime minister for five years until he was shifted to the defence ministry last year, had been tapped by Zelenskiy to steer an energy sector hobbled by corruption allegations and Russian attacks on infrastructure.

The last permanent energy minister was fired late last year in a corruption scandal that also implicated her predecessor.

The post had been empty nearly two months as Moscow escalated a cold-weather campaign of massive air strikes on the energy sector, leaving millions without power and heating in freezing temperatures.

Shmyhal's appointment failed to receive the necessary 226 votes, with 210 lawmakers voting in favour and three opposition parties abstaining.

TURMOIL IN ZELENSKIY'S PARTY

Around two dozen lawmakers from Zelenskiy's ruling party did not vote, reflecting what Kyiv-based political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko said was flagging discipline within the ranks.

Since Russia's February 2022 invasion, the legislature had effectively functioned as a rubber-stamp body keeping wartime Ukraine running.

"This is a sign that he's losing control over parliament," Fesenko said. Unease within the party is not new, but leaders in the past had been able to rally needed votes, he added.

Shmyhal had been proposed for the job as part of a wide-ranging government reshuffle with Kyiv facing mounting Russian pressure as the fourth anniversary of Moscow's invasion approaches next month.

Lawmakers on Tuesday had also been expected to tap Ukraine's digital chief Mykhailo Fedorov to lead the defence ministry before the legislative session was closed.

Parliament will reconvene on Wednesday for another attempt to appoint both Shmyhal and Fedorov, lawmakers said. Both had already been dismissed by the legislature amid expectations of a smooth vote.

SHORTAGE OF CAPABLE MANAGERS

Opposition lawmakers had criticised the wartime reshuffle as potentially disruptive at a critical juncture in the war.

Some took aim particularly at Shmyhal, saying he had failed to successfully manage the energy sector as Ukraine's longest-serving premier.

His candidacy for the third cabinet job under Zelenskiy also highlights the critical shortage of managers who are seen as capable of leading key sectors.

"You can't replace absolutely all positions with the same person when the situation is at a boiling point," said Solomiia Bobrovska, a member of the liberal opposition Holos party that abstained.