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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

Will Mykola Biloblotsky Prevent President from Clashing With Parliament?

1 December, 1998 - 00:00

As The Day predicted, the Presidential Administration Press
Service announced that President Leonid Kuchma has signed an order appointing
former Deputy Premier Mykola Biloblotsky Head of the Presidential Administration.

It is telling that representatives of different political forces practically
all agree on what the new top aide's policy will be, although this by no
means indicates that Mr. Biloblotsky is "nobody's boy," hand-picked to
discharge purely administrative functions. Parliamentary Presidential Representative
Roman Bezsmertny believes that the new Administration Head is an excellent
administrator and a man consistent in his views and with enough experience
to do the job. Still, he declined comment on "certain internal factors
involved in the appointment." He thinks that now cadre and structural changes
are in order.

Parliamentary Committee Chairman and Communist Heorhy Kriuchkov does
not think that Mr. Biloblotsky's appointment will be met with understanding
by the Left, because the man "has not shown his political stand over recent
years." Comrade Kriuchkov further noted that "as the recipient of an order
for the pacification of Odesa, Mykola Biloblotsky will continue to be "trusted
by those in power." He is cautious and loyal, and he could contain further
conflicts between the President and Verkhovna Rada, conflicts that were
fanned by Yevhen Kushnariov (although Comrade Kriuchkov thinks that the
desired majority will still not be put together in Parliament). In general,
unless the new Presidential Administration head "does a good job of bowing
and scraping to those above, and this is something he knows how and likes
to do," says Kriuchkov, he may well spare Leonid Kuchma the reputation
of an opponent of the legislature. Changes are likely to be made in Administration
guidelines, at least with regard to relations with Parliament.

PS: Sources still point to Yevhen Kushnariov as the next Ukrainian
ambassador to Russia.

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