Ukraine 'Gas Princess' appointed PM

Ukraine’s "Gas Princess", blonde millionairess Yulia Tymoshenko, was appointed prime minister today after parliament gave her the go-ahead to lead the former Soviet republic’s new Western-oriented government.

MPs approved the 44-year-old’s nomination in a 373-0 vote, far more than the 226 votes she needed.

Controversial Tymoshenko, once arrested for corruption, smiled broadly after the vote, which sent the Kiev chamber into a burst of applause.

Then she immediately walked over and hugged new President Viktor Yushchenko, who came to parliament to ask MPs to support his choice for Ukraine’s number two job.

Last-minute bargaining for key government posts had been blamed for the delay in Tymoshenko’s confirmation hearing.

Tymoshenko played a major role in last year’s Orange Revolution protests, helping secure Yushchenko’s victory in a repeat presidential election December 26.

But her penchant for provocative statements and her unpopularity in Ukraine’s Russian-speaking east are likely to make her a controversial premier.

She was dubbed the Gas Princess after making her fortune running Ukraine’s major energy provider.