In two weeks, the immunity of the Arseniy Yatsenyuk government from resignation expires.
While parliament is deciding on its position on the current prime minister's future, KP in Ukraine has compiled the most memorable events and facts about the Cabinet of Ministers and its head.
Appointment and dismissal of reformers
Almost from the very beginning, the second reformist government faced an unexpected problem: the reformers themselves began leaving. For example, former Georgian Justice Minister Jaba Ebanoidze, who was supposed to head the Registration Service at the Ministry of Justice, left the ministry just a couple of months after taking office.
"When they don't grant authority, but simply impose obligations, it's like they're looking for a scapegoat. And I didn't want to be a scapegoat," he explained.
In May, First Deputy Minister of Economic Development Oleksandr Borovik resigned from his post due to a conflict with Yatsenyuk.
"I told Yatsenyuk that I consider myself a technocrat who must honestly state what he sees. I think he didn't like my point of view," Borovik explained his resignation. Yanika Merilo, an adviser to the Minister of Economy and an Estonian with Ukrainian roots, also resigned.
In September of this year, the Cabinet of Ministers dismissed Deputy Head of the State Fiscal Service Kostiantyn Likarchuk, who headed customs, allegedly for "violating his oath as a civil servant." The real reason for his dismissal was a conflict with SFS Head Roman Nasirov, who had stripped him of all authority, bringing all customs departments under his control. Likarchuk came to the civil service from business and lasted only four months.
"Wall" on the border with Russia
The construction of border structures with Russia, the so-called "European Wall," was announced back in September 2014 under the first Yatsenyuk government. The project's cost was then estimated at 500 million hryvnias. Later, Arseniy Yatsenyuk stated that the "Wall" would require $500 million and would take four years to complete. Ultimately, the project's budget was approved at $200 million. The State Border Service of Ukraine promised to show journalists the results of the "Wall"'s construction by the end of this year.
Corruption charges
In April, the head of the State Financial Inspectorate, Mykola Gordiyenko, accused the new government of embezzling 7,5 billion hryvnias from several state-owned enterprises—Ukrposhta, Ukrgazvydobuvannya, Energoatom, and Naftogaz. Yatsenyuk himself explained that these figures do not pertain to the government or the prime minister, but to the activities of state-owned enterprises under Mykola Azarov. Gordiyenko himself was dismissed from his post.
Nevertheless, the Ukrainian prime minister was unable to completely clear himself of corruption accusations. Throughout the year, reports of a significant improvement in his personal wealth surfaced periodically. In August, prominent Ukrainian volunteer and social activist Oleksiy Mochanov, citing sources close to the prime minister, reported that he had hosted a celebratory dinner allegedly to celebrate his first billion-dollar haul.
"Arseniy Petrovich, I won't tell you his last name, guess for yourself, had a private party where he celebrated his first billion," he said on one of the Ukrainian television channels.
There were no official comments from the head of government following this announcement.
Show arrests at Cabinet meeting
In March 2015, during a Cabinet of Ministers meeting, Serhiy Bochkovsky, head of the State Emergency Service, and his deputy, Vasyl Stoyetsky, were arrested live on television. They were accused of corruption in the state's fuel procurement from private companies. A few days later, Bochkovsky and his deputy were released on bail of over one million hryvnias. The case is still under investigation.
Conflicts with Saakashvili
The Prime Minister's relationship with an equally prominent figure in Ukrainian politics, Odesa Governor Mikheil Saakashvili, has immediately soured. Saakashvili has repeatedly leveled accusations against the government. Most recently, he directly accused Arseniy Yatsenyuk of involvement in a corrupt gas procurement contract for the Odesa Port Plant.
"I call on the Prime Minister to curb the unbridled appetite of his 'dear friends.' Specifically, his right-hand man, MP Martynenko. There is a direct political connection between the Prime Minister, Mr. Martynenko, this plant, this contract, and the robbery," the Odesa governor declared. The Prime Minister had dismissed all previous protests as emotional, and regarding the latest one, he remained completely silent.
The Prime Minister has introduced a new form of communication with his compatriots: 10-minute television appearances on the country's most pressing issues.
"I want to begin a frank dialogue with you about the changes the country needs," the prime minister declared in his first address. Although he appears quite persuasive in this "dialogue," easily citing figures and indicators, only a very committed supporter of the Prime Minister would be able to watch a video of this length. According to internet marketers, the average user watches a video for 30-40 seconds, rarely a minute. So, for now, the only people benefiting from these speeches are journalists, who don't have the opportunity to meet with Arseniy Petrovich as regularly.
Cancellation of Russian flights and refusal of Russian gas
In September of this year, the government of Arseniy Yatsenyuk banned Russian airlines from flying to Ukraine. Furthermore, the government banned Russian airlines from transiting through Ukrainian territory if they were carrying military or dual-use goods or Russian military personnel. Perhaps more resonant, however, was the Yatsenyuk government's decision to stop purchasing Russian gas for Ukraine.
"It's not that they're not supplying us with gas; it's that we're not buying gas from them," the prime minister said at a Cabinet meeting. He explained that this decision was prompted by the high price of Russian fuel compared to Western offers.
Expert Opinion
Vladimir FESENKO, head of the Penta Center for Applied Political Research: An attempt to force the government to resign will happen.
The risk of Arseniy Yatsenyuk's government resigning is quite high. However, it's also impossible to say definitively that he will be dismissed. Of course, there will be an attempt to pass a vote of no confidence in this Cabinet. But whether he will be dismissed will depend on a number of circumstances. For example, a significant portion of MPs, perhaps even half, are not interested in dissolving parliament. And although the resignation of Yatsenyuk's government isn't directly related to this, it could significantly accelerate the process. Therefore, many will not vote on this issue, and there simply may not be enough votes. And unless some conflict arises between the prime minister and the president, the BPP will not vote for Yatsenyuk's resignation. This is not in the president's interests at the moment. Furthermore, there is another factor preventing Yatsenyuk's resignation: there is currently no single, agreed-upon candidate to replace him. So he has a chance to remain prime minister at least until spring of next year.
Victor Timofeev, KP in Ukraine
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