• Українська
  • Русский
  • English
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

BRUNO HAUPTMAN TACTICS DO PREMIER NO CREDIT Valery Pustovoitenko takes more hostages

13 November, 2012 - 00:00

Mr. Pustovoitenko used the Cabinet’s auditorium in a very special way, summoning on September 22 over 50 managers of enterprises with arrears on foreign banks’ and organizations’ loans received under government guarantees and announcing that only those signing obligations to redeem them would be allowed to leave.

The doors were guarded by Interior Ministry details (with quite an experience in such operations to date). The Prime Minister further informed those present that the total amount of such Cabinet-secured debts was, as of the previous day, $2.5 billion, of which a mere $886 million had been repaid, including 82% ($734 million) from the state budget. Mr. Pustovoitenko noted that loan arrears had risen from $476 million to $743 million over the past 8 months.

This hostage-taking affair leaves one wondering about all those ranking bureaucrats signing the Cabinet guarantees. Why not also put them under lock and key?

The Premier’s good intentions (to replenish the budget and pay pensions) somehow do not tally with such civilized, lawful methods of settling problems. What about arbitration, bankruptcy proceedings, inventory of property followed by an auction sale? Are the Premier’s antics explained by the government’s inability to repay creditors or guarantors other than by placing debtors under house arrest with Interior guards? This performance shows that they are.

That same day Mr. Pustovoitenko instructed law enforcement authorities to start criminal proceedings in credit nonpayment cases (strongly reminiscent of sicking a police dog on a malefactor). Again, it leaves one wondering what all those numerous fiscal oversight bodies were doing previously.

As for such a “minor” aspect of the problem as civil rights, I just tried to picture myself as one of the Cabinet hostages, without justifying or condemning any of them. They are family men, have relatives and friends. And suddenly they are exposed to such unwelcome publicity. Imagine: sign that paper or stay locked up (while your children wait for daddy) and if you don’t they will start a criminal case, meaning that you are a potential criminal. Great! And, begging the ladies’ pardon, how about going to the toilet? Were the hostages escorted down the corridor or had to relieve themselves behind the podium?

Mr. Pustovoitenko’s legal nihilism and what one is tempted to describe as Communist Youth League style bravado is a bad example for his subordinates. There is little doubt that lower-level executives will promptly follow suit in their own oblast and raion domains.

How would the Premier behave if the striking coal miners took some of his people (maybe even him) hostage: there are budget liabilities toward the mining regions, aren’t there? But they never would, because they don’t have an Interior Ministry of their own to hold the officials who owe them money.

 

Rubric: