BY
Following on from the last entry relating to the energy sector and subsidising
corruption, comes this statement – “The government doesn’t control the
situation in the energy sector… The reason for that might be an objective one,
but it’s more of a subjective plan – six orders of the Prime Minister and four
of my orders to the Energy Minister remained unanswered properly.” – Deputy
Prime Minister Valeriy Voschevsky.
He went on to say “the reason for the situation was the
economy being controlled from two centers simultaneously – the president’s and
the prime minister’s.”
To be blunt, nobody would be surprised – the harmonious and seamless
workings of the office of president and that of prime minister/cabinet of
ministers is as rare as rocking horse sh*t in Ukraine.
The inability to
remain within the constitutional boundaries offered to certain office has been
a recurring historical issue within Ukrainian governance at the very top – and
these are exceptional times in Ukraine unlikely to stop the historical trend.
Constitutionally, the president, aside from specific political
appointments and dismissals, in broad policy brush strokes is responsible for
foreign policy, defence and upholding the constitution. Everything else,
using equally broad brush strokes, is the responsibility of the government.
Ergo energy is the responsibility of the energy ministry, the cabinet of
ministers, and ultimately the prime minister according to the allocation of
power by the constitution.
Except – is not energy and energy security also a foreign policy and
defence policy issue too?
Which nations these days do not consider energy security as a national
security issue?
As it is certainly a national security issue for Ukraine, it therefore
falls within the presidential remit. Thus the presidential
administration, particularly in the current circumstances Ukraine finds itself,
can make a legitimate claim to involvement within the energy sector of Ukraine
without any legislative/power overreach any otherwise would-be justification
for overstepping constitutional boundaries perhaps would have needed.
Nevertheless, energy policy also remains a governmental responsibility
according to the legislation too.
Therefore the two branches of political power both have legitimate and
constitutional rights to be meddling with energy policy, and viewing it through
slightly different lenses too. Is it therefore any wonder that control
has been lost? Into that chaos (or perhaps void) assuredly further
corruption, inefficiency and oligarchical interests will seep.
If the oligarchy are to be confronted, and at the very least legitimate
limits placed upon their drinking from the currently corrupt energy font, then
such actions are more easily taken whilst the oligarchy are currently weakened.
They will not remain weak for long unless major reforms are taken soon.
How easily any reforms can be implemented with two different centers of
power meddling within the same ministry and tinkering within the same policy
domain remains to be seen. A dreamy two-step or two left feet?
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