BY
With Governor Saakashvili and entourage now flitting between Odessa and
city stop tours around Ukraine promoting his anti-corruption movement,
naturally a safe, responsible, politically accomplished, and diplomatic pair of
hands are required to mind the shop.
As First Deputy Governor Vladimir Zhmak does not fit that description –
albeit he is fiercely loyal to the Governor – somebody that does fit that bill
is required.
Maria Gaidar, a long term adviser to the Governor, and since October
2015 an Oblast Deputy for the Solidarity Party, has now been appointed
Odessa Deputy Governor too, and thus now holds an unofficially official post of
“High Chamberlain” within the inner conclave of those surrounding Governor
Saakashvili, as well as within several other democratic local governance
chambers.
She intends to continue to act as an Oblast Deputy, a role to which she
was elected, as well as becoming Deputy Governor. Indeed she has been quite
clear (most recently in a TV interview on 30th December) that if the law
prevented holding both posts, she would remain in her elected role and refuse
the Deputy Governor appointment
There is however, nothing within the current law, nor the law reforming
the civil service that comes into effect in May this year, that would prevent
it. Dual posts cannot be held by what will be termed “Category A” civil
servants from May, but neither Deputy Governor, nor Oblast Deputy are “Category
A” roles, thus she is free to hold both – and is certainly capable of doing so
without detriment to either.
Of all the appointments made by Governor Saakashvili, some have been
good and some not so good – and there are one or two poor decisions too – Ms
Gaidar, along with Giorgi Lortkipanidze, have proven to be particularly shrewd.
Both are extremely capable in their roles, apply the “less is more”
approach to the media whilst still maintaining easy access, and seem to have a
clear-eyed ability when it comes to prioritising and proportionality in their
work.
Will Odessa be a better place for the appointment of Ms Gaidar as Deputy
Governor? Probably. It certainly won’t be a worse place for it.
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