KIEV, Ukraine (AP) Ukraine's president set out a strongly reformist agenda during the inaugural session of parliament Thursday, calling for the immediate overhaul of a justice system he said was corrupted from the top down.
Petro Poroshenko said a successful reform program would enable Ukraine to consider applying for European Union membership within five years.
Combatting corruption and re-orienting Ukraine toward Europe, and away from Russia, have been dominant themes of national politics since former President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February after months of protest.
Since a vote last month that ushered in a raft of pro-Western parties, Yanukovych's Party of Regions is no longer represented in parliament, although some of his erstwhile allies were elected within the Opposition Bloc.
Poroshenko said the justice system's shortcomings posed a national security risk.
"It is quite clear that the primary reason for the low standard of life of the majority of Ukrainians is the totally corrupted government apparatus," he said.
A preliminary governing coalition was formed last week, uniting five parties intent on guiding Ukraine toward integration with Europe and potentially NATO.
Poroshenko said Ukraine should shed prohibitions forbidding it from joining military blocs such as NATO. "The non-aligned status voted for in 2010 has not been able and will not be able to guarantee the security and territorial unity of our country," he said.
The new parliament draws together a colorful variety of political figures, including crusading anti-corruption campaigners, commanders of paramilitary units fighting Russian-backed separatists in the east, and remnants of Yanukovych's entourage.
One deputy, Nadezhda Savchenko, is awaiting trial in a Russian prison after she was captured by Russian-backed militia during fighting in eastern Ukraine in June. Russian investigators accuse Savchenko, a Ukrainian air force officer, of involvement in the killing of two Russian journalists.
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Pro-Western Ukraine parliament holds first session