Editor’s note: Following are reactions to the Feb. 3 resignation of Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius, a Lithuania-born former investment banker who was appointed to the post 14 months ago.
President
Petro Poroshenko, writing on Facebook:
“I
think that Aivaras should remain minister and continue reforms. He has time
left to think it over. Everything that Abromavicius announced today should be
investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau as the newly independent
body. Igor Kononenko addressed the NACB and said he was ready to cooperate with
it.”
Prime
Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told the Cabinet:
“As
the prime minister it’s my job to protect each member of government. The
situation at the moment is not very easy for everyone. But our strength is in
continuing to fight. In this situation, to resign is like running from the
battlefield.”
Ihor
Kononenko, deputy head of Bloc Petro Poroshenko, told journalists in
parliament:
“Ukrtransammiak
– this is not just a strange situation, this is a criminal situation because
the enterprise is still headed by Victor Bondyk who worked with the
(ex-President Viktor) Yanukovych ‘Family.’ The Ministry of Interior has opened
a number of criminal proceedings against Bondyk. Why hasn’t the Ministry of
Economy and Trade removed him from his position and looked for a replacement…
I discussed this topic with Abromavicius and directed his attention to the fact
that there are complaints about this man that he cooperated with the previous
regime…This is some sort of paradoxical situation.”
Gizo
Uglava, deputy head of National Anti-Corruption Bureau, told Novoye Vremya
magazine:
“We
are right now, today, registering the criminal proceedings of this case. A
public statement by the minister is enough for that. And we will begin our
investigation.”
Joint
statement issued by ambassadors of G7 nations, as well as Sweden, Switzerland,
and Lithuania:
“We
are deeply disappointed by the resignation of Minister for Economic Development
and Trade, Aivaras Abromavičius, who has delivered real reform results for
Ukraine… It is important that Ukraine’s leaders set aside their parochial
differences, put the vested interests that have hindered the country’s progress
for decades squarely in the past, and press forward on vital reforms.”
Anton
Gerashenko, People’s Front lawmaker and adviser to the Ministry of Interior,
wrote on Facebook:
“I
will not vote for the resignation of Aivaras Abromavicius and I will convince
my colleagues in the People’s Front faction to do the same.”
Mikhail
Saakashvili, governor of Odesa Oblast, wrote on Facebook:
“Yesterday
I spoke with Aivaras Abromavicius for a long time and he told me many
interesting things. Is not it sad that Lithuanians and Georgians forced to take
over the function of defense of the country from some dishonest ethnic
Ukrainian, who broke into power? I hope on Feb. 16, the Rada will find the
strength not only to dismiss the government, but also to ensure that the next
government is fully protected from the shadow of interests of the president,
prime minister or any other faction.”
Sasha
Borovik, adviser to Odesa Oblast governor and former first deputy economy
minister, wrote on Facebook:
“If
what Aivaras says is the truth and if he finds evidence, then Kononenko will
have to give up his mandate. If the (deputy) leader of the largest faction
leaves – it will cause a serious constitutional crisis, the nation would not
trust either People’s Front or Bloc Petro Poroshenko, and the other parties are
too weak to form their own government.”
Ihor
Shevchenko, former environment minister, wrote on Facebook:
“Shevchenko
(I), (Konstiantyn) Lykarchuk, (Alexander) Kvitashvili, (Andriy) Pyvovarsky,
(Volodymyr) Shulmeister, (Volodymyr) Omelyan, (Oleksiy) Pavlenko, and
Abromavicius…Do you get the logic? For those in power though that would be a
pretty screen (for corruption). A screen under the name “Technocrats” with good
reputations, a Western education, a history of success in business. A screen
from behind which they will continue to cut into the budget, receive kickbacks,
rob the state enterprises.”
Pavlo
Sheremeta, former minister of economy, told Novoye Vremya magazine:
“Right
now this is a watershed moment for the country’s leadership – to demonstrate
what it means to ‘live in a new way.’ I’ve been waiting for their reaction for
several hours – it still hasn’t come.”
Joint
statement by self-styled ‘EuroOptimists’ on Facebook:
(Represented by the following
lawmakers: Svitlana Zalishchuk, Mustafa Nayyem, Oleksiy Mushak, Alex Ryabchyn,
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Alyona Shrum, Andriy Vadatursky, Hanna Hopko Victoria
Voytsitska, Nataliya Katser-Buchkovska, Victoria Ptashnyk Sergey Leshcehnko)
“We
express our support to the Minister… We appeal to the Verkhovna Rada speaker,
Volodymyr Hroisman, to call the minister of economic development and trade,
Aivaras Abromavicius, to parliament to publicize corruption within the Ministry
of Economic Development and Trade.”
Sergey
Leshchenko, Bloc of President Petro Poroshenko lawmaker and former
investigative journalist, told the Financial Times:
“At
the very least, Poroshenko is deaf to information about corruption. He will
only act when society forces him to do it.”
Hlib Vyashlinsky,
executive director at Centre for Economic Strategy, wrote on Facebook:
“Mr.
Kononenko, you say he’s a bad minister? Why then after he announces his resignation
does the price of Ukrainian eurobonds start to fall?”
Timothy
Ash, dead of Central Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa credit strategy
for Nomura International, via email:
“I
still cannot see early elections – as likely suicide for the two main ruling
parties, and just working to the advantage of the opposition (in and out of the
ruling coalition), and likely Russia. But I guess this is Ukraine, where there
are always a lot of things going on under the radar, in backrooms, and where
oligarchic business interests always seem to come out on top – and that is the
problem.”
Anders
Aslund, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, via email:
“In
effect, Abromavicius has turned the table on Kononenko, who publicly called for
Abromavicius’ resignation two days earlier…. Regardless of whether Abromavicius
stays or goes, this domestic political crisis is likely to have major
repercussions. Recently, Kononenko has been trying to oust the most
reform-minded ministers and replace them with his own people. This scandal
could stop his advance or even break the coalition in parliament.”
Taras
Berezovets, director of Berta Communications political consultancy, wrote on
Facebook:
“Yesterday
I met Aivaras Abromavicius peacefully dining in a well-known Kyiv restaurant
with Mikhail Saakashvili… Now I understand the subject of the meeting. The
other curious thing was the minister was holding consultations on the eve of
his resignation with the governor (Saakashvili), who is engaged in creating a
new political force in anticipation of the early parliamentary elections in
September.”
Andy
Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, via email:
“Thank
You Aivaras and team for your admirable achievements over the past year. Hoping
that they will stay on and continue fighting the poisonous corruption. A clash
of the old and new, no turning back.”
The European Business Association in
Ukraine, wrote
on Facebook:
“Pity to read the
news, especially sorry to acknowledge the reasons behind Aivaras’ decision to
resign. It just once again confirms the urgent need to efficiently fight
corruption and bring results to society.”
Vitaliy
Shabunin, chairman of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, told Novoye Vremya:
“There
is one problem: this level of corruption is difficult to document…We must do
covert investigations which needs permission from the Rada when it concerns
lawmakers. The results from these investigations will be zero, for a member of
parliament knows that he is being tapped.”
Timofiy
Milovanov, associate professor at University of Pittsburgh and Editor at
VoxUkraine.org, wrote on Facebook:
“I
want to live in a good, prosperous, fair country. I despise those people who
pull the country backwards… Now it is clear who lives in the past and who lives
in the future. I respect Aivaras. He is my hero.”
