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Pharmaceutical executive threatens MPs, acts to derail bill

Pharmaceutical executive threatens MPs, acts to derail bill

28 November 2019

A pharmaceutical
executive threatened on Nov. 28 MPs with the Voice faction for submitting
legislation for review that would open the market to imports, the pravda.com.ua
news site said. During a session of the health parliamentary committee,
InterKhim Deputy Director Oleksandr Chumak told video camera “I will bash their
heads in” as MP Olha Stefanyshyna presented the bill, which was ultimately not
supported by the committee. In her view, Chumak “gave the command to
distributers and pharmaceutical producers to dump the bill,” she said in a
Facebook post, referring to the legislation that would have also eliminated
patents that protect pharmaceutical monopolies. “Those who gained hyper-profits
from the current condition didn’t like the proposals of our MPs and have
resorted to making threats,” said a statement on the party website.

 

Chumak was appointed
deputy health minister on Oct. 9, the zaxid.net news site reported that day,
citing the cabinet press service. Health Minister Zoriana Skaletska announced
Chumak to be part of her team of advisers on Sept. 2. The Health Ministry
website doesn’t mention Chumak, and the pravda.com.ua news site only identifies
him as a former adviser to the health minister.

 

Zenon Zawada: Although the Zelensky
administration seems to be taking the first steps in what could be an
unprecedented fight against corruption (though that still remains questionable), certain rules about politics don’t
change, no matter what the country is. Chumak seems to be a well-connected
entrepreneur, which means that he has the ability to block legislation that
threatens his lucrative business. And Chumak seems to have influence over The
People’s Servant MPs who promote themselves as reformers but will often be
beholden to business interests (the president himself being no exception).

 

Of course, threats made directly in parliamentary committee exceed
acceptable discourse, but this incident demonstrates that The People’s Servant
party doesn’t have a monopoly on reforms, particularly in liberal policies
aimed at improving competition in the Ukrainian economy. The Voice party is
just as active, with the “young reformers” of The People’s Servant sometimes
standing in the way.

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