BY
A little scandal has broken in the
Ukrainian media regarding the
appointment of 24 year old Anastasia Deeva as
Deputy Minister for European Integration.
Mrs Deeva has been working within the Ministry of
Interior for a number of years since EuroMaidan/Revolution of Dignity, being
closely associated with the outstanding Eka Zguladze during her tenure.
Indeed under such tutelage Mrs Deeva cannot fail to have both worked very
hard and also become very competent at what she does.
During that time there
was no public scandal surrounding Mrs Deeva or her work.
No publicly aired
problems were seemingly forthcoming from her previous tenure as an assistant to
former Party of Regions deputies Leonid Kozhara and Elena Nemockoy (working
under her maiden name of Shalko – she married in May 2016). No issues
were raised with her departure to Scandinavia whilst the dust settled in the
post Regionaire aftermath of 2014, nor her return.
Her time in Scandanavia
was apparently spent on “green” issues prior to her return to Ukraine and
working once again within the organs of power in Kyiv.
Since her appointment
within the MIA as Deputy for European Integration a few days ago however, the
media environment surrounding her has rightly worsened.
Immediately a number of
provocative and revealing photographs became public.
The above, of those released, is the only one that
with certainty does not break any service provider rules for this blog.
(It also contains a Klimt print on the wall and the blog appreciates
Klimt.)
Putting aside wry,
sarcastic commentary regarding the Ukrainian civil service seemingly going to
extraordinary lengths of transparency if such photographs be a guide, this blog
will take the position that such photographs are in no way a reason for
preventing any such appointment – and neither are they reason for dismissal.
In fact, when it comes
to kompromat/blackmail, they are far better out in the open than used as a
nefarious lever over Mrs Deeva. No matter how uncomfortable this may be
for Mrs Deeva now, it is short lived in comparison to an ever-hanging Sword of
Damocles.
There are however issues
that cannot be allowed to slide regarding the nature of her appointment and the
due diligence surrounding an individual that probably has had, and will have
access to sensitive information and partake in sensitive dialogue within and
without Ukraine from time to time.
There are laws and rules
of procedure regarding the appointment of civil servants that came into force
in May 2015 – and these seem to have been willfully disregarded in the case of
Mrs Deeva’s appointment. This in a ministry that is key to upholding the
rules and laws of the land.
Excuses – there are
none.
Aside from a blatant disregard for the new statutory
selection processes, there is an curriculum vitae that if genuine is blatantly
erroneous and that should have been caught by any HR department when sifting
such material – not to mention having raised flags for any relevant clearances
regarding access to classified material (if any were done). (Considering
Mrs Deeva is now only 24, a declared ten year professional career within the
halls of governance is clearly wrong – unless child labour is something
entertained within the Verkhovna Rada.)
There are then matters
of very expensive wardrobes (Luis Vitton etc) that do not fit comfortably a very modest
e-declaration of a junior civil servant’s career.
Tempting as it is to
make Mrs Deeva the story, there are perhaps more important questions to be
asked and answered.
All in all, a very poor
display by one of the “power ministries” has been brought to light through the
seemingly illegitimate appointment of Mrs Deeva and the subsequent release of
information about her to the Ukrainian media which subsequently ran the story.
A reader may question
whether the Interior Ministry actually requires a Deputy for European
Integration, the position to which Mrs Deeva has been appointed, when there has
been nothing short of direct inward assistance within that ministry for 2 years
from the UK, USA, Canada, Japan, and several European nations – planning,
financial, training, mentoring, equipping etc. The Interior Ministry has been a point of
focused and direct effort.
A more interesting
question is perhaps why has Interior Minister Arsen Avakov allowed himself to
be compromised so easily? And why over such a quibbling matter?
Mr Avakov sits atop the
only “power ministry” not controlled by a presidential loyalist. That
there would be no tears shed upon replacing him with a presidential loyalist
would seem assured – if only good reason could be found to do so.
Needless scandals over such appointments should be something Mr Avakov is
therefore particularly keen to avoid – yet complete disregard for laws and
procedures occurred of which both the Interior Ministry nor he are in no
position to claim they were not aware.
Why then was this risk
taken? As always, the first question is who benefits?
What was in it for Arsen
Avakov to make such a decision? How did he believe he would benefit?
Now this sorry tale has
rightly
grabbed the headlines, how can he mitigated the outcome? Can Mrs
Deeva be saved within his ministry, and with it the experience she undoubtedly
gleaned from Eka Zguladze? Obviously her retention in her recently
appointed position is now untenable, but her retention within the ministry may
yet be possible if she is considered worth fighting for vis a vis any continued political damage to Arsen Avakov
should he try to do so.
If Mr Avakov jettisons
her, how lasting the political damage that he has sustained?
Do the political wolves
at the Interior Ministry door consider this needlessly self-inflicted debacle
sufficient to force Mr Avakov out? If so, and in calling out a coalition
partner’s bluff, would the People’s Front really sacrifice their political
future by leaving the coalition and the inevitable early Verkhovna Rada
elections that would follow over the future of Mr Avakov – or not?
A needless mess.
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