After the National Security and Defense Council’s meeting Premier Valery Pustovoitenko visited Odesa to study the situation resulting from the lasting confrontation between local power structures. Mr. Pustovoitenko believes that the “critical situation in Odesa has reached its apex.” He intends to “recommend to the President cardinal steps aimed at cadre changes to resolve the problem of Odesa.”
No one knows what these “cadre changes” are all about. As for “cardinal steps,” everything points to the idea of “direct presidential government” in Odesa, particularly when electing the mayor (referred to officially as City Chairman). Ex-Mayor Eduard Hurvits considers that “the police state model is being tested in Odesa.”
As a matter of fact, such “presidential government” is dubious from the legal point of view, since the Constitution does not envisage local Presidential administrations. Which, in turn, warrants the question: Who will administer there? Anyway, it looks like those in power are resolved to take most serious measures, even contrary to the law. Remarkably, Odesa Regional Public Prosecutor V. Ivanov spoke in favor of the idea, although his very position demands strict observance of the existing legislation. And the Prime Minister declared that “there are no problems which we cannot solve.”
In this context the President’s almost daily philippics about “legal nihilism” sound especially piquant as does the enthusiasm with which the authorities have set out to solve the Odesa problem. Why now of all times? The confrontation did not begin yesterday. “Cardinal steps” are explained by “numerous messages addressed to the President from citizens and officials, asking him to institute direct presidential government.
A likely explanation is the idea of transporting Caspian oil via Ukraine, particularly using the Odesa oil terminal, which was revived after talks with British Petroleum. The more so that a task force from Derzhkomnaftohazprom (State Committee on the Oil and Gas Industries) left for Baku almost as soon as Premier Pustovoitenko returned from Odesa, to negotiate the problem, although the Premier denied any connection between the Odesa conflict and Azerbaijan oil transportation through Ukraine. Possibly the government wants to show foreign investors that the situation in Odesa is completely under control. Alas, most experts doubt that the matter will be decided to Ukraine’s benefit.






