Ukraine’s parliament has approved a close ally of President Petro Poroshenko to become the country's new prosecutor-general.
Lawmakers voted by 264-to-37 to approve Yuriy Lutsenko’s candidacy on May 12, after removing the need for nominees to the chief prosecutor’s post to hold a law degree and reducing required legal experience.
Some lawmakers shouted “shame” as the bill passed, while others alleged procedural violations.
After the vote, Poroshenko signed a decree confirming Lutsenko’s appointment.
The 51-year-old Lutsenko is a former interior minister and the head of Poroshenko's parliamentary faction. His university degree is in engineering.
The post of prosecutor-general is seen by the West as crucial for Ukraine to tackle entrenched corruption.
In February, Poroshenko fired the previous prosecutor-general, Viktor Shokin, after being criticized for failing to indict corrupt officials.
