Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, took the oath of office on Monday and immediately announced plans to dissolve parliament, setting up a clash between the country’s entrenched political class and its new leader.
Zelenskiy, a comedian with no prior political experience, won a landslide victory in elections last month, amid anger over corruption and a grinding war with Russian-backed separatists in the country’s south-east.
In a fiery inauguration speech on Monday, he called on government ministers to resign and urged officials not to idolise the president.
“I don’t want my portraits to hang in your offices,” Zelenskiy said. “Because the president is not an icon or an idol. Hang pictures of your children there and look them in the eyes before every decision.”
By calling snap elections, Zelenskiy hopes to quickly extend his political momentum to the legislature and sweep out loyalists to the former president Petro Poroshenko. Zelenskiy’s new party, Servant of the People, would win about 40% of the votes in a parliamentary election, according to recent polls.
He called on outgoing lawmakers to revoke their immunity from prosecution, to establish criminal liability for illegal enrichment and to sack controversial officials, including the prosecutor general, Yuriy Lutsenko.
“You will have two months for this. Do it and you will deserve medals,” he said after being sworn in.
Zelenskiy, who has largely avoided public appearances since winning runoff elections in April, arrived at the parliament building, the Rada, on Monday on foot, giving high fives to supporters outside before entering and taking the oath of office on a Bible.
Zelenskiy said his first task was to achieve a ceasefire in Donbass, where more than 13,000 people have died in five years of fighting. He called for the return of Ukrainian prisoners and a broad push to win back the loyalty of Ukrainians living in separatist territories. “We are ready for dialogue,” he said.
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The rhetoric marks a significant departure from policy under Poroshenko, who presented himself as a champion of Ukraine’s army. Zelenskiy, in his speech, acknowledged the political risks of seeking detente.
“I am definitely not afraid to make tough decisions, lose my popularity, my ratings,” Zelenskiy said. “And if necessary, I will without hesitation forfeit my office for peace.”
He appealed to millions of Ukrainians who have emigrated from the country to return and help build a “new, strong, successful Ukraine”.
He quoted Ronald Reagan, the US actor turned president whom Zelenskiy has sought to emulate: “Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.”