This question is again on the practical plane
The question of Prime Minister Valery Pustovoitenko's resignation has been practically solved, a competent source in the Cabinet of Ministers told The Day .
Officials think that last Tuesday's Cabinet session became the last straw that broke the back of serene summer- time politics. At that session, the premier had to admit, as Interfax-Ukraine reports, that measures to meet the 1999-2000 autumn-winter period were «unsatisfactory.» The Cabinet's executive decision provides for a 10% cut on power and gas consumption in the very first autumn months, which testifies to wide gaps in this country's energy balance. The list of facilities exempt from power disconnection is also being essentially reduced. Is the country going to see the presidential elections in darkness? Naturally, in these conditions, the No. 1 candidate must, above all, find and punish the guilty.
It will be recalled that in June the President already tried to fire the premier by the hands of parliament in order to shift the blame for the situation in the country to Verkhovna Rada. However, a judicious attitude prevailed in the parliamentary hall, and the premier was left intact. Then Mr. Pustovoitenko became the target of «shooting» from inside the Cabinet he heads. At first, Vice Premier Serhiy Tyhypko assessed the domestic situation in radically different terms than did the premier from the parliamentary rostrum. Then came a Cabinet session presided over by Leonid Kuchma, where Mr. Pustovoitenko was missing when the President agreed to the vice premier's assessment of the situation. This was followed by a sharply critical jibe of First Vice Premier Kuratchenko, incidentally, a person very loyal to the top-most authorities, which most Cabinet members supported. The latter fact was confirmed by his reaction to the way he was dismissed, without the President explaining the reasons for this.
Another small detail which, however, assumes significance. On the evening of Friday before last, Mr. Pustovoitenko returned to Kyiv after celebrating the jubilee of Kryvorizhstal (Kryvy Rih Steel Mill). As soon as Monday, information agencies, quoting sources from law-enforcement bodies which are in fact outside his jurisdiction, reported on lawsuits against some executives of the celebrating enterprise and on the unsatisfactory economic performance of the latter. Incidentally, commenting to The Day on this story, head of the local National Democratic Party (NDP) branch Anatoly Koryk said that «the collective is against the replacement of Volodymyr Nechyporenko (the current general manager of Kryvorizhstal — Ed. ),» which can mean, in principle, that the NDP with Mr.Pustovoitenko at the head is also against this. Then who came out against the premier and why did he dare do so?
A true friend and loyal supporter of Mr. Kuchma for many years, Mr. Pustovoitenko can of course mobilize again some resources to influence the President, perhaps including the pro- Kuchma Zlahoda association, in order to remain in office until the elections. Experts also point out, however, that Mr. Kuchma, now mostly absorbed in the problems of elections rather than the economy, may shift Mr. Pustovoitenko to a purely political sphere, making Zlahoda a kind of «popular front» to support the current President.
Should this happen, a natural question arises: who can be Mr. Kuchma's next victim (although there is no denying the fact that this country still has those who would like to rule the roost)?
The most probable candidacy seems to be the newly-appointed First Vice Premier, former head of the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Anatoly Kinakh, already repeatedly tipped as a probable successor to Mr. Pustovoitenko. In principle, Mr. Tyhypko's candidacy can also be considered. However, even though the latter may rely on Western support, so important for Mr. Kuchma, the President will hardly venture to appoint as head of government a market-oriented official with a banking and Komsomol record. We can also enter in this list the current chairman of Verkhovna Rada's Budget Committee Yulia Tymoshenko. Her recent interview with the state-run TV channel, apparently devoid of her characteristic critical tone, may testify to certain rapprochement with the presidential team. Yet, Ms. Tymoshenko is most likely to begin her record as a government official from a lower rung.
Of course, newspaper versions cannot be 100% credible. Moreover, Mr. Pustovoitenko may bring into play the last reserves and keep the premier's post (incidentally, on August 11 he expressed confidence that he would meet new Russian premier Putin at the end of the month, Interfax-Ukraine reports). But Bankova St. can also resort to non-standard moves. Taking into account the fact that the current power copycats (with due allowance, however, of different magnitudes) the Kremlin's actions, we can also foresee that we shall see a certain loyal security or police top officer as prime minister. It is not accidental that the law on the state of emergency has come to the forefront lately. What is more, the so-called «democratic» measures (monopolization of medial space, persecution and closure of undesirable elements, splits on the right and left flanks, etc. ) have brought no positive results to presidential contender Kuchma.
The question of Prime Minister Valery Pustovoitenko's resignation has been practically solved, a competent source in the Cabinet of Ministers told The Day .
Officials think that last Tuesday's Cabinet session became the last straw that broke the back of serene summer- time politics. At that session, the premier had to admit, as Interfax-Ukraine reports, that measures to meet the 1999-2000 autumn-winter period were «unsatisfactory.» The Cabinet's executive decision provides for a 10% cut on power and gas consumption in the very first autumn months, which testifies to wide gaps in this country's energy balance. The list of facilities exempt from power disconnection is also being essentially reduced. Is the country going to see the presidential elections in darkness? Naturally, in these conditions, the No. 1 candidate must, above all, find and punish the guilty.
It will be recalled that in June the President already tried to fire the premier by the hands of parliament in order to shift the blame for the situation in the country to Verkhovna Rada. However, a judicious attitude prevailed in the parliamentary hall, and the premier was left intact. Then Mr. Pustovoitenko became the target of «shooting» from inside the Cabinet he heads. At first, Vice Premier Serhiy Tyhypko assessed the domestic situation in radically different terms than did the premier from the parliamentary rostrum. Then came a Cabinet session presided over by Leonid Kuchma, where Mr. Pustovoitenko was missing when the President agreed to the vice premier's assessment of the situation. This was followed by a sharply critical jibe of First Vice Premier Kuratchenko, incidentally, a person very loyal to the top-most authorities, which most Cabinet members supported. The latter fact was confirmed by his reaction to the way he was dismissed, without the President explaining the reasons for this.
Another small detail which, however, assumes significance. On the evening of Friday before last, Mr. Pustovoitenko returned to Kyiv after celebrating the jubilee of Kryvorizhstal (Kryvy Rih Steel Mill). As soon as Monday, information agencies, quoting sources from law-enforcement bodies which are in fact outside his jurisdiction, reported on lawsuits against some executives of the celebrating enterprise and on the unsatisfactory economic performance of the latter. Incidentally, commenting to The Day on this story, head of the local National Democratic Party (NDP) branch Anatoly Koryk said that «the collective is against the replacement of Volodymyr Nechyporenko (the current general manager of Kryvorizhstal — Ed. ),» which can mean, in principle, that the NDP with Mr.Pustovoitenko at the head is also against this. Then who came out against the premier and why did he dare do so?
A true friend and loyal supporter of Mr. Kuchma for many years, Mr. Pustovoitenko can of course mobilize again some resources to influence the President, perhaps including the pro- Kuchma Zlahoda association, in order to remain in office until the elections. Experts also point out, however, that Mr. Kuchma, now mostly absorbed in the problems of elections rather than the economy, may shift Mr. Pustovoitenko to a purely political sphere, making Zlahoda a kind of «popular front» to support the current President.
Should this happen, a natural question arises: who can be Mr. Kuchma's next victim (although there is no denying the fact that this country still has those who would like to rule the roost)?
The most probable candidacy seems to be the newly-appointed First Vice Premier, former head of the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Anatoly Kinakh, already repeatedly tipped as a probable successor to Mr. Pustovoitenko. In principle, Mr. Tyhypko's candidacy can also be considered. However, even though the latter may rely on Western support, so important for Mr. Kuchma, the President will hardly venture to appoint as head of government a market-oriented official with a banking and Komsomol record. We can also enter in this list the current chairman of Verkhovna Rada's Budget Committee Yulia Tymoshenko. Her recent interview with the state-run TV channel, apparently devoid of her characteristic critical tone, may testify to certain rapprochement with the presidential team. Yet, Ms. Tymoshenko is most likely to begin her record as a government official from a lower rung.
Of course, newspaper versions cannot be 100% credible. Moreover, Mr. Pustovoitenko may bring into play the last reserves and keep the premier's post (incidentally, on August 11 he expressed confidence that he would meet new Russian premier Putin at the end of the month, Interfax-Ukraine reports). But Bankova St. can also resort to non-standard moves. Taking into account the fact that the current power copycats (with due allowance, however, of different magnitudes) the Kremlin's actions, we can also foresee that we shall see a certain loyal security or police top officer as prime minister. It is not accidental that the law on the state of emergency has come to the forefront lately. What is more, the so-called «democratic» measures (monopolization of medial space, persecution and closure of undesirable elements, splits on the right and left flanks, etc. ) have brought no positive results to presidential contender Kuchma.
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№31, (1999)Section
Day After Day
