Spotlight: Ukraine's parliament postpones ruling on PM's resignation

Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday postponed its ruling on Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's resignation, as the country scrambles to find a qualified replacement to lead it out of crisis.

Yatsenyuk announced his resignation on Sunday in the wake of the months-long political crisis in the country that has overshadowed reforms and could freeze vital international financial support.

Although Yatsenyuk's decision did not come as a surprise, it was another sign that Ukraine's ruling elite was torn apart and deep internal schism was bringing the country down.

The inability of the ruling parties to reach consensus on Ukraine's security, economic and political goals has led to the collapse of the parliamentary coalition and threatened to leave the country without a workable government.

Yatsenyuk's resignation paves the way for the dissolution of the entire cabinet, but it is unclear what will be the composition of the new government and who will lead it.

Currently, none of the politicians seems eager enough to take charge of the cabinet over high risks for their reputation amid the crisis.

Last month, the reform-minded Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko, who was offered the post of the prime minister, has rejected the offer as she reportedly failed to reach a consensus with President Petro Poroshenko on the conditions of her premiership.

Meanwhile, another candidate, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyy, justified his refusal to lead the government by a lack of support from the parliament.

Now, rumors are circulating that Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Groysman, who was seen as the most probable nominee for the post of the prime minister, has also refused to lead the government over disagreements with the president on the composition of the cabinet.

"Our political elites have created not only the political crisis in the country, but the crisis within itself. The policy makers do not trust each other insomuch that they are unable to agree on core issues," said Alexandr Medvedev, the head of the expert council at the sociological company Sociostream AG.

If understanding between different political forces is not achieved, Ukraine may face early parliamentary elections, which will extend the period of instability in the country.

Poroshenko has already voiced his readiness to call a snap vote if the government is not approved and a new coalition is not formed by the end of the current week.

And even if the new prime minister and the new government take office, it is understandable that the situation in the country will not be immediately improved, as the cabinet members will need time to adapt to their new positions.

Another big question now is the composition of the new government. The chances that it will be inclusive are small as the ruling elite is dominated by only two political parties -- the People's Front party of Yatsenyuk and the Solidarity party of Poroshenko.

Most likely, the ministers loyal to those two forces will enter the cabinet, which means divisions within the government would persist, analysts say.

The new government has a long to-do list. The most pressing issues include resolving a conflict in the eastern part of the country, reviving its economy and implementing reforms, as well as fighting corruption.

It is impossible for the cabinet to cope with these tasks without close cooperation with the parliament. However, under the current circumstances, it is unclear how the incoming government will achieve coherence with the parliament, which has a higher diversity of political affiliation.

Most local analysts believe that the current crisis could only be resolved only if the policy makers put an end to the squabbling and join hands for the sake of Ukraine, instead of trying to grab the biggest piece of the political pie. Endi