Yury Yekhanurov (L) receives congratulations from Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko after the parliament backed him as Ukraine's new prime minister in the parliament in Kiev, September 22, 2005. (Xinhua/AFP photo)

    KIEV, Sept. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Ukrainian parliament endorsed Thursday the nominee for prime ministership, President Victor Yushchenko's trusted ally Yury Yekhanurov, easing weeks of political turmoil in the country.

    Yekhanurov got 289 votes in the 450-seat Upper Rada parliament,well above the 226 votes needed for approval.

    This was the second time Yushchenko presented his candidate to the parliament to ask for approval. Just two days ago, the parliament rejected his nominee.

Yury Yekhanurov (L) and Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko (R) receive congratulations after Ukrainian parliament endorsed Yury Yekhanurov Thursday the nominee for prime ministership. (Xinhua/AFP photo)

    Yushchenko made important concessions to his political rivals to secure their support for Yekhanurov.

    After the nominee was denied in his first attempt, Yushchenko held talks with other party leaders and political foes to persuade them to accept Yekhanurov.

    As an important move to secure the approval, he signed a memorandum of understanding with his former political foe Victor Yanukovich, who he defeated last year before taking power.

    In it, the Ukrainian president agreed to support constitutional reforms which transfer much power of the president to the prime minister and the parliament.

    He also promised he would not use government resources to campaign for next year's parliamentary elections.

    As a result of the concessions, 50 votes Yekhanurov got in the parliament were from Yanukovich's party, Ukraine Regions.

    "Today is a historic day for Ukraine," Yushchenko told reporters after the vote. "Today will go down in Ukraine's historyas the day that the political elite...demonstrated unique agreement."

    Yekhanurov, a 57-year-old technocrat with extensive experience in the executive branch, replaces Yulia Tymoshenko, whose government Yushchenko sacked earlier in the month amid severe infighting and corruption scandals.

    Yekhanurov was deputy prime minister when Yushchenko headed thegovernment in 2000-2001. He is the 14th prime minister of Ukraine since the nation declared independence in 1991.

    Yekhanurov pledged to unveil his cabinet line-up next week, promising "a powerful signal for big, medium and small business and also for our partners abroad." Enditem