EU disappointed with incomplete Ukraine e-declaration launch

The EU Delegation to Ukraine expressed its disappointment and concern regarding the incomplete launch of the government’s electronic asset declaration system on Aug. 15 without the necessary certification, according to a statement released that day. The system needs to be certified in order to ensure criminal liability for making false statements, the statement said, referring to Ukraine’s commitments to the EU and the international community. “From what we understand, there are no substantive reasons for withholding certification,” the statement said. “Certification should be provided without further delay.” 

Since it took a half-year to develop, another half-year will be required for the e-asset declaration system’s review, said on Aug. 15 Volodymyr Horkovenko, the head of the information policy department of the Presidential Administration. He blamed the system’s developers for failing to develop a program with enough quality to get it certified, not corrupt state officials, as alleged by the program’s developers, activists and mass media. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groisman called for correcting the situation in the shortest time.

Recall, the National Agency to Prevent Corruption launched on Aug. 15 its e-asset declaration system without certification from the Information Protection State Service. The system requires that all state officials, elected and appointed, disclose their income and assets and those of their relatives. Without certification, the information in the system, or lack thereof, can’t be used as evidence in criminal prosecutions, reported the eurointegration.com.ua news site.

Zenon Zawada: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has worn out the patience of pro-Western Ukrainians, who are dissatisfied with his failure to provide leadership on Ukraine’s Euro-integration requirements. The failure to launch the electronic declaration system seems to be the final straw in the public’s tolerance of the president’s resistance to reforms, which was exercised in order to ensure Ukrainian unity amid Russian aggression.

The editors of two leading news site, Ukrayinska Pravda and Yevropeyska Pravda, even called for Western leaders to withhold financial aid to the government and refrain from allowing visa-free travel, accusing the country’s top leaders of intentionally subverting reforms that promote rule of law and reduce corruption.

What this means is that political battles will intensify in September once parliament convenes. With it widely being recognized that early parliamentary elections won’t solve Ukraine’s problems, much of the criticism will be directed at the president. The Russians will be sure to exploit this and we could reach another situation in which the stability of Ukrainian statehood is under threat.