Officials expecting dismissal are trying to cover their political rears

Photo: Ivan Chernichkin

This week the members of parliament expect the president’s recommendations on the appointment of the new heads of the country’s law enforcement agencies and the Foreign Affairs Ministry. In anticipation of their resignations, certain officials have relied on high-profile public conflicts appealing to the values of the Maidan, which should contribute to the prolongation of their political careers.

Total recall

Yesterday, the UN Security Council refused to accept Russia’s draft of the UN Security Council resolution condemning the attack on the Russian Embassy in Kyiv on Saturday. There, nearly 1,000 activists demanded Russian diplomats to leave Ukraine and stop intervening in Ukraine’s internal affairs. At the same time, protesters showered the building of the embassy with stones and eggs, overturned staff vehicles and tore down the Russian flag.

However, the decision of the UN Security Council did not help settle the conflict at the Russian Embassy. The main reason for this was the behavior of acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya, who arrived to the site accompanied by representatives of the Interior Ministry. Deshchytsya tried to calm the protesters, but instead joined the protesters singing an obscene song of Ukrainian ultras targeted at Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In response, Russian politicians demanded to dismiss Deshchytsya, while the minister himself explained his behavior by the desire to hold back protesters from attacking the Russian Embassy. “It is difficult to understand why he went there. Perhaps, he felt that he had to be there, because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the activities of embassies and the country’s image,” said international expert Oleksandr Sushko in a conversation with Capital.

An MP of the Batkivshchyna faction, who requested anonymity, suggested that Deshchytsya’s visit might have something to do with the struggle for the post of the foreign minister. “Deshchytsya was delegated to the Cabinet by the Maidan, therefore he decided to win the support of the Maidan”, said the source. He added that such tactics of flirting with the Maidan activists is also popular with the Svoboda Party. For example, acting head of the Lviv Oblast State Administration Iryna Sekh, who has already announced her resignation, addressed President Petro Poroshenko requesting to award the titles of Hero of Ukraine to residents of the Lviv oblast killed during the protests on the Euro-Maidan in Kyiv.

Even earlier Sekh’s fellow party member, acting Prosecutor General Oleh Makhnytskiy accused the new leadership of the Interior Ministry of intervening in the investigations of the killings of the Euro-Maidan activists.

“Without any coordination with the investigators on the part of the Prosecutor General’s Office the top brass of the Interior Ministry sent its men to participate in the anti-terrorist operation with armed force during the Maidan”, said Makhnytskiy at a briefing. In response, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov wrote on his Facebook page that Makhnytskiy’s statement was a “brazen lie”.

A source close to the Interior Minister said in a conversation with Capital that complications in investigation of the crimes committed on the Euro-Maidan are the reason for the open public conflict between Makhnytskiy and Avakov. The source says that prior to appointment of a new prosecutor general Makhnytskiy would like to report to the public on identifying the guilty persons to the maximum. In turn, the Interior Ministry is ready to assist in bringing its employees to justice, but in response it would like to conduct an investigation into the protesters’ use of weapons against law enforcers.

“Makhnytskiy and Avakov could solve these issues behind the scenes as they are close friends, but on the eve of staff shuffling initiated by the newly-elected president officials are trying to once again be in the limelight,” the source claims.

Contenders to bounce

Public arguments between law enforcement bodies have had a negative impact on the socio-political situation in the country, believes former acting Prosecutor General Bohdan Ferents. “Today, the situation does not correspond to public arguments. Assuming that the Interior Ministry and Prosecutor General’s Office cannot resolve the issue on their own, I believe some third party should be involved, for example the president”, said Ferents.

Several MPs said in conversations with Capital that the Presidential Administration has already initiated the process of analyzing the current situation with the law enforcement agencies, which would entail adopting certain decisions regarding personnel. This involves not only the PGO and the Interior Ministry, but also the State Security Service, the Ministry of Defense and the State Border Service, whose officials are shifting the blame and responsibility for the losses during the ATO one another’s shoulders.

Member of the VR Committee on National Security and Defense Affairs and a representative of the UDAR party Serhiy Kaplin said the political struggle for the benevolence of the president was the main reason for the public conflict between the chiefs of the law enforcement agencies. “At present two teams are struggling not to become the one to bear the blame in the no-win situation, because the blame for the recent events would rest directly on the shoulders of the law enforcers,” believes Kaplin.

MP from the Batkivshchyna party Ivan Stoyko in conversation with Capital suggested that personnel affairs could be voted on this plenary week. “I believe candidates will be recommended this week. The first to be replaced are the chief of the Interior Ministry, the Prosecutor General and taking into account the latest developments – the Minister of Foreign Affairs”, Stoyko summed up.