About corrupt elites and elite corruption

What today’s Ukraine has in common with Napoleon’s France

In his inauguration speech, the fifth President of Ukraine has announced the development of the economy as one of the key priorities during his tenure. He also defined the main problem which stands in the way of this development – corruption, which has destroyed the foundation of social organisation and led Ukraine to a crisis of sovereignty.

Poroshenko’s opinion is not unique – society is united in that the economical development is necessary, and for this it is important to fight corruption (as understood in a broader sense) and carry out reforms. The second person in the country – Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk, – expressed this position quite directly: “It would be catastrophic to continue with an economy which lives on loans, therefore we have to carry out the harshest reforms possible.” 

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Petro Poroshenko’s team. The first appointments.

Sergiy Leshchenko, UP

Petro Poroshenko is filling in the quotas – the Parliament approved the candidates proposed my him for the posts of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prosecutor General and head of the National Bank. 

While the voting for Pavlo Klimkin as the head diplomat was supported by all fractions, and Vitaliy Yarema was appointed without the regionals’ votes, Valeriya Gontareva became head of the National Bank after a small scandal “Batkivshchina” tried to start. 

Cyberwar between Ukraine and Russia

Ukrainian IT specialists uncover and block the assets and accounts of the separatist leaders in Donetsk and Luhansk

The Anti-Terrorist operation continues not only in the east of Ukraine, and not only in the real world. Civil activists in other Ukrainian regions are trying to make their investment into the fight against separatists, including specialists in computer technologies.

The activists have created several online groups which engage in discovering and blocking electronic accounts of the leaders of the so-called “people’s republics” in Donbas and even blocking their cell phone numbers. 

The Spring Cleaning Government

Enough time has passed since Petro Poroshenko’s inauguration for it to become clear: Arseniy Yatseniuk will remain at his post of Prime Minister.

“Why depose him? He is in his place!” Stated one of the high officials of the President’s Administration not long before the change of government.

And really, it does seem that Arseniy Yarseniuk is in his rightful place.

The current government cannot be compared to the previous one.

It is working under the conditions, in which Ukraine has lost part of its territory and is in the state of military conflict. This conflict is being heated increasingly by the country’s once-main economical partner – Russia.

The latest “friendly” move of the neighbouring state is the demand that Ukraine pay a huge political price for gas, which has resulted in the shutdown of the pipeline and mutual plaints to the Stockholm court.

Taking into account all the events and the difference in weight categories of the two states, Ukraine will have to face difficulties. When evaluating the work of the government, the influence of external factors cannot be ignored.

Arseniy Yatseniuk: The gas Bacchanalia is part of Russia’s plan to eliminate Ukraine, but I will not go down without a fight.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk stated that the government intends to fight for a market price on Russian gas. 

Prime Ministers Arseniy Yatseniuk claims that the “gas Bacchanalia” is part of Russia’s plan to destroy Ukrainian sovereignty. He stated this on Tuesday, June 17th, from the Parliamentary booth, reports the website of the government.

“This is part of the plan which prescribes a whole number of means to destroy Ukrainian independence and sovereignty. It began with the annex of Crimea, destabilisation of the situation in Donbas and Luhansk, financing terrorists, sending bandits to Donbas territory, transit of weapons, equipment… Now gas pressure is being put on Ukrainian consumers, an economical blockade… This is Russia’s plan,” said Yatseniuk.

To his mind, all of this is happening because Russia cannot grasp the fact that Ukraine is an independent state. He emphasised that it is not a coincidence that the gas conflict arose on the even of the signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU.

“But it is not up to Russia to decide where we are to go. And we are headed towards the European Union,” said Yatseniuk.

He also stated that the Ukrainian government offered the Russian side to establish a gas price consisting of two components: during the so-called “low season” – $300 per thousand cubic metres, during central heating season – $385. But Russia refused this offer.

“I will not go down without a fight. We will fight for the price which is on the market, honest and fair,” emphasised the Ukrainian Prime Minister.

Source: Gordonua

Translated by Mariya Shcherbinina

Keep communists from government, says lustration group

Yehor Sobolyev

The Lustration Committee is proposing that former communists, KGB officers, and corrupt officials be prevented from holding government positions, said Committee Chairman Yehor Sobolyev at a press briefing on Wednesday, June 11, reports Ukrainska Pravda.

According to Sobolyev, the restriction applies primarily to positions in the courts, prosecutor offices, law enforcement and other security agencies. Hiring must be done through an open competitive process, he said.