Last Wednesday former Head of the Presidential Administration Yevhen
Kushnariov told a news conference that his removal was "not a demarche
but a conscious effort to make his own contribution in the process of rallying
the centrist forces." Yet the fact remains that Mr. Kushnariov felt he
had to do some explaining, meaning that he had decided to "seek his place"
elsewhere on the spur of the moment, not after long sleepless nights.
The former top aide confirmed that the President's "vector of actions
is a sum total of all those vectors of pressure on him coming from different
political forces." This statement can be regarded as an admission that
those both the NDP and Mr. Kushnariov were squeezed from those same quarters
with influence on the President. Incidentally, he further admitted that
while he was running the Administration, it had stopped acting as "an agent
provocateur of the sociopolitical situation," and that no one could blame
him for engaging in intrigue. Mr. Kushnariov thus confirmed that under
the circumstances Mr. Kuchma does need a master of political intrigue.
When asked who he thought would succeed him, he declined comment, saying
that the President will sign an edict naming his new Presidential Administration
Head in a matter of days, and that his replacement will be a "well-known
and powerful figure not belonging to any of the political parties." (Some
sources pointed to Ihor Sharov who has two major advantages: an ability
to work with the opposition so that it stops opposing and closeness to
the Communist Party).
Yevhen Kushnariov denied the allegation that his quitting the Presidential
Administration was just another transfer, a promotion in the election campaign
hierarchy. "To say that I will take care of Mr. Kuchma's election campaign
would be an overstatement," he declared, "but I will do my best to persuade
the NDP to back Leonid Kuchma in the campaign." And if the party decides
differently, he will "think what to do under the circumstances." Observers
believe, however, that after the second round of the NDP convention he
will not have to bother looking for a job.
Some analysts admitted that Ihor Sharov's appointment as Head of the
Presidential Administration was highly problematical, primarily because
he had decided to change his Deputy Minister's seat for one in Parliament
(in place of a Deputy struck from the roster). In this sense heading the
Administration would have meant even greater exposure than a ministerial
post. Others point out that Mykola Biloblotsky is probably the only person
capable of claiming Vasyl Durdynets's laurels as Cabinet troubleshooter.
Mr. Biloblotsky effectively carried out the President's orders in Yalta
and Odesa, courageously fought calamities, and is likely to handle any
further assignments well. His Soviet nomenklatura record is quite impressive:
first secretary of the Mykolayiv oblast Komsomol committee, second secretary
of the Ukrainian Komsomol Central Committee, Ukrainian Communist Party
CC inspector, second secretary of Cherkasy oblast party committee. There
is little doubt that his appointment will be welcomed by the Communists,
Socialists, and Agrarians.






