Zelenskiy calls for May 19 inauguration, may consider Rada dismissal

President-elect
Volodymyr Zelenskiy called upon the president and his loyal MPs to cease their
alleged efforts to delay inauguration day and organize the ceremony to be held
on May 19. “So far, you are active exclusively in your own interests, fearing a
dismissal of the Rada and dragging out the inauguration date,” he said in a
video appeal published on May 10. “While you cling to your mandates, former
President Poroshenko is doing the irreversible. He is actively reshuffling the
army’s higher command, trying to install its head of the National Television
and Radio Broadcasting Council of Ukraine, and appointing judges to the Supreme
Court, among them a lawyer for Roshen, judges (against) the Maidan, and
relatives of Serhiy Kivalov.”

As its response, the
Presidential Administration denied trying to delay inauguration, insisting that
the transfer of power is “a complicated and responsible process.” The statement
repeated the president’s invitation to meet together to discuss the transfer of
responsibilities and authority.

The “Komanda
Zelenskoho” Facebook page published a video on its page calling for the
president-elect to dismiss parliament. It featured interviews with average
Ukrainians, who voice their support for parliament’s dismissal. The video’s
host said Zelenskiy will personally view the video once it gets a million
views.

Zenon Zawada: Zelenskiy is actually benefiting
from inauguration being delayed because it gives him more time to form his team
and program. Spreading the narrative that the current administration is
resisting the transfer of power works even further to his advantage. But indeed
the longer Zelenskiy’s opponents delay his inauguration, the more restricted
his legal capabilities are in dismissing parliament and calling early
elections, a move that improves his chances to field a powerful faction to
support his reforms. We don’t expect inauguration to occur until May 26, at the
earliest. A Poroshenko Bloc MP has even submitted legislation calling for a
June inauguration.

It’s apparent the Zelenskiy administration will be actively using
Internet media, particularly social networks and YouTube videos, to influence
public opinion and drawing support for its initiatives. In the case of the
early elections video, it appears as though the public wants a particularly
initiative (which could very well be the case), when it’s truly the Zelenskiy
team that is promoting it. While this is a novelty currently, Zelenskiy’s
rivals will further develop staff and technologies to compete with him (which
they have already begun to do). In the end, what will matter is his trust among
the public (currently high), the popularity of his proposals (currently high),
and his ability to fulfill them (currently low).