Ukraine's new-look parliament promises to keep true to its trademark rowdiness
An elderly Ukrainian woman reads a ballot paper in her house during parliamentary elections in the town of Konstantinovka, Donetsk region eastern Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014. Voters in Ukraine headed to the polls Sunday to elect a new parliament. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)(The Associated Press)
KIEV, Ukraine Anti-corruption crusaders, paramilitary commanders, radical ultranationalists, remnants of the disgraced former president's entourage.
Ukraine's incoming parliament has this and a whole lot more.
Much is changing, but one thing seems set to stay: a rowdy atmosphere in which punching, kicking, choking and biting are all part of the game.
Sunday's elections produced a new-look legislature packed with pro-Western parties, giving them a mandate to enact a program of reform.
Just don't expect smooth sailing.
Everybody agrees on paper on the need to fix broken courts, overhaul the tax system and rescue health care. But the devil is in the detail and Ukrainian lawmakers have always found a reason to pick a fight.
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POLICING POLITICS
Take Afghan-born Mustafa Nayem, a 33-year old reporter-cum-activist. His summons to rally against former President Viktor Yanukovych's decision to freeze ties with the European Union snowballed into a full-blown revolution.
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Ukraine's new-look parliament promises to keep true to its trademark rowdiness