Lutsenko resubmits request to remove immunity from Opposition Bloc MPs

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko
resubmitted on Sept. 18 his request to the parliamentary rules committee to
approve the removal of the political immunity of three MPs for criminal prosecution.
After approval, the committee must submit the request to the session hall.
Lutsenko first submitted his request in late May to remove the immunity of four
MPs (including the current three), but they were returned to the parliamentary
head. Speaker Andriy Parubiy said at the time the committee was deliberately
avoiding meeting in order to avoid receiving copies of the prosecutor general’s
request.

The three MPs are members of the Russian-aligned
Opposition Bloc. Oleksandr Vilkul – a possible candidate for the presidency –
is accused by the prosecutor general of land machinations, Dmytro Kolesnikov is
accused of misappropriating property and Serhiy Dunayev is accused of filing
false tax declarations. News reports didn’t indicate why the request to remove
immunity wasn’t resubmitted for the fourth MP, Oleksandr Ponomariov.

In response, the Opposition Bloc party issued a
statement alleging “persecution of the opposition” by the prosecutor general.
The criminal accusations have been “fabricated, invented and unjustified,” the
party said. “After four months, the government is trying to repeat its
performance for an encore.”

Zenon Zawada: Lutsenko’s
requests are intended to (a) put pressure on the Opposition Bloc during the
election campaign and (b) promote Lutsenko’s image as a fighter against
corrupt, Russian-aligned forces in Ukraine. What’s interesting here, however,
is that Vilkul is being targeted, despite having a political alliance with
Lutsenko’s boss President Poroshenko (through Rinat Akhmetov). To us, this
further confirms that Vilkul’s prosecution is a public relations stunt for
Lutsenko, with no court trial to be expected.

What’s also interesting is that the rules committee,
which stalled the decision to remove immunity all summer, is led by Pavlo
Pynzenyk, an MP with the People’s Front. On some issues, like the vote to
expand the Central Election Commission, the People’s Front has aligned with the
president (and Lutsenko). On this issue, it is not aligned. Nor is it clear
whether Interior Minister Avakov (also of the People’s Front) has an alliance
with the president for the elections.

So it’s apparent to us that the MPs of the People’s
Front faction (second-largest in parliament) have nothing to unite them anymore
(given the faction won’t return to parliament after 2019) and are making
political alliances for the elections on an individual basis. What’s most
important is whether Avakov will cut a deal with Poroshenko/Lutsenko, leading
presidential challenger Yulia Tymoshenko or stay neutral during the elections.