BY
Upon the cusp of August/September 2015 when it became abundantly clear to
all that #Prosecutor_General Shokin simply had to go, this blog opined that Yuri
Lutsenko would push for the role. The reasons put forward were that he
considers himself worthy of far greater roles than that of heading President
Poroshenko’s Solidarity Party Verkhovna Rada faction, and that his frustration
in that role was evident. He wanted, and expects, bigger and better
roles.
And so it comes to pass that the whispers behind the political curtain
suggest but two runners and riders for the role of Prosecutor General now that
Mr Shokin has submitted his long overdue resignation.
Those two individuals being Pavlo Zhebrivskyi the current Governor of
Donetsk, formerly of the PGOs office (January – June 2015) and before that (Our
Ukraine) parliamentarian for many years, and unsurprisingly, Yuri Lutsenko,
Yulia Tymoshenko’s very average former Interior Minister and who is now among
the half dozen Poroshenko Grey Cardinals/High Chamberlains that is government
within/behind the government.
When tipping Mr Lutsenko to be the next Prosecutor General of Ukraine as
the 2015 Summer gave way to Autumn, this blog opined that he would be yet
another (4th) poor Poroshenko choice for the role.
He is clearly of the “old political elite” no differently than Yulia
Tymoshenko and Arseny Yatseniuk and his appointment to the role would be
perceived as such. Thus the appointment of another well known “old guard”
figure to a position of significance would not sit well with a considerable
proportion of the constituency even before he had a chance to do anything.
His tenure as Interior Minister was hardly replete with successes against
corruption or organised crime either, which will not instill confidence.
More to the point however, Mr Lutsenko has the qualities that suit the role
of Grey Cardinal/High Chamberlain striking grubby little (and big) deals behind
the curtain, but those qualities are inherently conflicting for a role that
requires robust personal morality and integrity, and leadership that inspires
an institutional ethic that abhors grubby little deals behind the curtain.
Just as Yulia Tymoshenko may change her hairstyle but not her spots, (and
she is currently unsuccessfully romancing Samopomich and Governor Saakashvili
in preparation for any (likely) early elections and resulting coalitions), the Ukrainian
(and international) constituency would not be easily or quickly convinced by
the appointment of a Prosecutor General Lutsenko.
Mr Zhebrivswkyi carries far less public baggage and has been involved in
far less questionable/dubious shuffling behind the curtain than Yuri Lutsenko,
and thus of the two heavily rumoured candidates he is likely to have far fewer
favours owing and far less compromising incidents to rear an ill-timed head if
appointed.
Yet there is a very simple and blunt question to ask.
Having spent months putting senior prosecutors through very public scrutiny
prior to anti-corruption appointments, with several outstanding candidates
appearing, why is it that none of those individuals are (currently) being
considered for the role of Prosecutor General? Why are only
long-in-the-tooth politicians with varying amounts of nefarious baggage being
touted?
The question is somewhat rhetorical, for it is clear that President
Porosehnko is simply either not prepared, or not brave enough, to give up
political control over the Prosecutor General (and by extension the Prosecutor
General’s Office), preferring to continuously appointment those personally
loyal to him (rather than loyal to the nation first and foremost).
During the next few fairly quiet weeks as “coalition consultations” occur
(don’t be too surprised by a Solidarity/People’s Front/Radical Party majority
coalition outcome – nor the continued rejection of Tymnoshenko overtures by
both Samopomich and Governor Saakashvili), a reader may ponder whether any
other runners and riders will enter the Prosecutor General frame that would
actually unambiguously project the perception of a morally upright,
independent, robust servant of the nation (over vested interests or personal
loyalties) in which the constituency (and external supporters) will believe.
Such people do exist and have successfully been through the rigours of
public scrutiny and assessment very recently after all. In their
(current) absence from the running list, then Mr Zhebriviskyi appears to be the
least worst option.
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