By Vitaly KNIAZHANSKY, The Day
The President's most recent Cabinet changes of the last few days make it
possible for us to approve his repeat nomination for the Man of the Year
title in view of his firm, resolute and, consistent appointments policy.
The President resolutely, but without announcing the reasons, dismissed
last Thursday Minister of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Serhiy Osyka,
now being prosecuted as reported by The Financial Times and France
Presse (Mr. Osyka is perhaps the longest-serving veteran of Kuchma Cabinets),
and as resolutely appointed him Deputy Minister of the Economy. Osyka himself
was not overjoyed, and the President promptly canceled his previous decision.
The character reference given by Oleksandr Moroz to Pavlo Lazarenko,
"an extremely talented manager," might be equally well applied to the former
first Deputy Premier Anatoly Holubchenko. The foreign mass media found
another common feature in these figures: inclination to manage the natural
gas market, where no fundamental changes have been observed since the days
of Pavlo Lazarenko. This is why Mr. Holubchenko has now been sent to the
State Property Fund as Deputy Chairman. And here we cannot help adding
in describing the cadres policy for which the President could be awarded,
wise and without complexes.







