Parliament rejects cabinet activity program

Ukraine’s parliament rejected at its June 18 session
the government’s latest draft of its program of activity, the approval of which
would have granted the cabinet political immunity on a formal basis for one
year. The program, presented a second time by PM Shmyhal, drew only 207 votes
compared to 226 needed, most of which came from the pro-presidential People’s
Servant party. It drew no votes from the parliament’s four other factions,
whose MPs called for the cabinet’s dismissal for various reasons and gathered
signatures for its dismissal. Among the main criticisms was the ongoing
presence of the scandalous Arsen Avakov as internal affairs minister.

When presenting the first draft on June 4, Shmyhal
requested that parliament vote to require its reworking. The draft presented on
June 18 was expanded to 85 pages (many programs in the past had no more than 10
pages), organized around each ministry and planned for a 2020 GDP drop of 4-8%.
As his response to the vote, Shmyhal issued a statement on the cabinet website
shrugging off the parliament’s rejection and stating the cabinet will work on
the program regardless.

Zenon Zawada: The
cabinet’s program of activity is largely a formality that serves as a general
barometer for the political climate in the country and a general guide for the
government’s plans. It doesn’t even guarantee immunity, as the previous prime
minister, Oleksiy Honcharuk, enjoyed the approval of what was considered by
experts to be among the best programs drafted by a cabinet. Yet he was removed
just six months into his tenure – through political pressure – without the need
for a parliamentary vote. 

Besides the unusual political grandstanding around such
a document, the June 18 vote indicates that there is no consensus on the
government’s plans and priorities. That’s even within the People’s Servant
faction, which couldn’t muster enough votes to approve the program on its own
(which it’s capable of). The other factions decided that they’re better off
attacking the program than offering their support, which means in essence that
they are betting on it to fail.

This episode indicates a total vacuum in political
leadership in Ukraine, with no one willing to support PM Shmyhal in this
immensely difficult period. We believe even President Zelensky has a strategy
of shifting all blame onto Shmyhal, who will serve as a convenient scapegoat
for everyone, for all things bad.

For this very reason, we believe the calls for
Shmyhal’s resignation to be strictly political theatre, as the major players
find him to be a valuable political foil. This proverbial punching bag will be
kept around as long as possible, especially when the soft-spoken technocrat
doesn’t seem to mind this role. He has yet to go on a political attack in his
three months as prime minister.