President Kuchma Believes the Government Should Be the President’s Instrument

President Leonid Kuchma’s speech of April 5 to the Central Council of the Federation of Ukrainian Trade Unions contained several important points. The chief executive thinks in particular that a parliamentary-presidential republic would be a tragedy for Ukraine. He said he did not understand who would stand to gain and who wants to see Ukraine a parliamentary-presidential republic. Nor does he understand the Communists who yearn for a parliamentary republic. It is also unclear to him “what kind of a government such factions as Rukh, Fatherland, and Reforms Congress support, because they opposed legislative support of the parliamentary majority.” In his opinion, Ukraine will always sink into governmental crises with a parliament like we have.

The political situation in society and in parliament was aggravated because decisions of the nationwide referendum have not been implemented, the guarantor of the Constitution declared, noting he did not agree with those political parties which say that the nationwide referendum held on April 16, 2000, helped aggravate the political situation in this country. Pres. Kuchma reiterated that “the referendum was absolutely necessary” and reminded his audience that the parliamentary majority was formed on the eve of the referendum.

On the other hand, Mr. Kuchma expressed satisfaction over his meeting with representatives of Ukrainian parties on April 4. It showed, he said, that most parties “are ready to work in deed, not in words only” and want to solve the existing problems.

According to the president, Ukraine should learn to live without the International Monetary Fund. Yet, he agrees that Ukraine must fulfill those IMF conditions which promote economic development but never accept the conditions which do not, such as those which could bankrupt Ukraine. In their relationship with the IMF, the ministries of finance and the economy should defend the national interests, he maintains, emphasizing that we should not discontinue cooperation with the IMF, for this is “a signal for all countries that they can work with Ukraine.”

The head of state also warned the cabinet that it will “no longer be riding the gravy train,” and he will never again use his veto on economic laws because, in his opinion, when he exercises it, “the government literally hides behind the president’s back... It looks in such cases like the president is bad, and all the others are good.”

To his mind, no matter who wins the presidential election, “the resulting government should be the president’s instrument.” If such an instrument as the government works, there will be success, he said, adding that “everybody here has an opinion of his own about this.” Mr. Kuchma explained that, under Ukrainian law, he cannot dismiss a minister from his office without a request from the head of government, while “one should not abuse such things as dismissal of the premier, for this is a last-resort instrument. There should be stability.”

And if the government does not start making structural changes in the economy, the president said, Ukraine will be in for another crisis. He emphasized that in the past ten years Ukraine “had not been making structural changes, and all our positive results were achieved by exporting raw materials.”