Ukraine Cabinet nominations to be presented today

Politicians and civic leaders will lead a gathering on Kyiv’s Maidan the evening of Feb. 26 to gain approval for its Cabinet nominations to the government of people’s trust. The pro-EU Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR) led by Vitali Klitschko said it will decline any Cabinet posts in favor of technocrats, instead focusing its efforts on Klitschko’s presidential candidacy. Civic activists will get 1/3 of the posts, mostly in the social sphere, said Kyiv veteran activist Igor Lutsenko, as reported by the Kommersant-Ukraina news site.

The new parliamentary majority will be led by the three pro-EU factions (Fatherland, UDAR and Freedom), offering only 166 out of 226 needed votes. They could be joined by two groups: Economic Development led by former Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh (33 votes) and Sovereign European Ukraine, led by former Parlaimentary Chair Volodymyr Lytvyn. UDAR and Freedom party faction leaders said they support holding early parliamentary elections if a coalition fails to emerge by the end of the week.

Zenon Zawada: It looks as though the politicians are heeding to the demands of civic activists, which is a basis for optimism. We hope at least half of the Cabinet will consist of non-partisan experts in their fields, but that’s optimistic. The finance minister candidate being batted about is Viktor Pynzenyk, who represents the old political guard, which has its pluses and minuses. Arseniy Yatsenyuk is the favorite to emerge as prime minister, which won’t please the Russians since he is entirely committed to Euro-integration. He also has lost popularity among EuroMaidan activists for his inconsistent position during the recent protests. However, he has a strong background in finance.

Another candidate for prime minister is billionaire Petro Poroshenko. While his wealth is something that may annoy EuroMiadan activists, we believe they will tolerate his candidacy due to his good track record in different positions in different governments and established relations with both Russian and Western politicians.

The timing of the government formation is much more important than its personalities. Current urgent problems that can’t be delayed by jostling for posts are: the currency crisis, the approaching fiscal crisis, and the pro-Russian protests in Crimea. Only the official government can solve all of them. Meanwhile, the West is waiting for measures that will enable macro aid, and eastern and southern regions of Ukraine need more clarity on social policies the new government will pursue.