Saturday, August 12, 2006

New brooms

Today's 'Ukraina Moloda', which is edited by a trusted old chum of Yushchenko's, runs a story underlining how quickly Yanukovych's new ministers are introducing 'svoyi poryadky'.

A gentleman's agreement between Yu and Ya had been struck that the head of the State Tax Administration [DPA] would be amongst the president's quota of selections of high ranking state officials.

But as soon as Yushchenko had departed for a break in Crimea, new deputy PM and a former head of the DPA Mykola Azarov forced the incumbent head, Oleksandr Kiryeyev, to resign, and immediately appointed Anatoliy Brezvin, with whom Azarov had worked during the times of Yanukovych-1 and Kuchma, to the position.

Kiryeyev is an old Yushchenko colleague from Agrobank "Ukraina" and National Bank of Ukraine days.

Azarov's period as head of the DPA between 1996 to 2002 was characterized by systematic abuse of power, as revealed on the Melnychenko tapes.

Kiryeyev was given a farewell gift of flowers and a Parker pen, according to the DPA press service.

PoR, I imagine, would like to attract as many NSNU deputies as possible into their coalition of national unity when the VR reopens for business.

30 NSNU deputies voted for Yanukovych out of 269 votes cast in a 450 seat parliament, in order for him to become PM.

Stunts such as this will not help them make friends in Kyiv, so weakens their coalition.

Photo of Deputy PM Azarov on one of his more cheerful days..[from 'U.M']

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