Rada to review resignation request of antimonopoly committee head

A parliamentary committee approved on July 2 for the
agenda the review of a resignation letter submitted the prior day by Yuriy
Terentiev, the head of Ukraine’s Antimonopoly Committee (AMC). The parliamentary
economic policy committee recommended approving the resignation request. Media
reported that Terentiev submitted another letter to parliament on July 2 to
recall his resignation letter and asking parliament ignore it.

Yuriy Butusov, the editor of the censor.net.ua news
site, wrote on July 1 that Terentiev submitted the resignation letter at the
request of President Zelensky. Butusov attributed the request to a conflict
over the UAH 6.5 bln penalty that the AMC imposed
on cigarette wholesaler Tedis. This view was questioned by journalist Yuriy
Nikolov, who alleged the penalty’s future doesn’t depend on the personality of
the AMC head.

Alexander Paraschiy: AMC has
made a lot of questionable decisions under Terentiev’s leadership, so his
possible resignation won’t draw so much concern as the possible resignation of
the NBU head. However, the alleged reasoning of his possible resignation does
not help the image of President Zelensky, nor Ukraine’s investment case. It’s
worth considering that Terentiev – as well as NBU head Yakiv Smoliy, who also
filed his resignation on July 1 – are among the last holdovers from the
Poroshenko administration who have some valuable experience. Yet it’s being
speculated that that’s precisely why they’re being targeted, which we see as
possible.

Also, the way parliament is going to fire Terentiev
looks contradictory. In its recommendation, the Rada’s economic committee
referred to Ukraine’s Constitution, alleging that it states it’s in the Rada’s
power to “appoint at the behest of the president” and “dismiss” the AMC head,
with no clearly stated procedure of dismissal. However, the AMC law indeed adds
clarity, stating that the AMC head is dismissed by the president, while the
Verkhovna Rada only approves the president’s decision.

Therefore, the current confusion on Terentiev’s
dismissal could have been avoided by the president. After the scandal
surrounding Smoliy’s resignation, he could be trying to avoid direct
involvement in the Terentiev situation to avoid any allegations of pressure on
the AMC head. However, his avoidance only raises additional questions of
competence and political uncertainty.