Regional officials, judges among latest Zelensky personnel changes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky engaged in his
latest personnel changes with a series of decrees signed on June 11. Most
notably, the president dismissed 15 out of the 24 heads of regional
administrations, which are the Presidential Administration’s representative
offices responsible for implementing its policies locally. The decree appoints
their deputies as acting heads. Zelensky also signed decrees dismissing two
deputy heads of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and six heads of SBU
regional offices. The two deputy heads violated elections laws and face further
measures, Presidential Administration Deputy Head Ruslan Riaboshapka told
reporters on June 11. The regional heads engaged in illegal contraband, he
said.

Zelensky also signed a decree canceling a decree
signed by former President Poroshenko appointing two judges, Andriy Vasylenko
and Mykhaylo Isakov, to the Supreme Council of Justice after his election loss
in late April. “At the end of President Poroshenko’s tenure, the procedural
rules were changed in the competitive selection of two members of the Supreme
Council of Justice. Not waiting for a decision by the competitive commission
and the conclusion of selection process, Poroshenko appointed two members in
violation of the law on the Supreme Justice Council. Justice was restored today,”
Riaboshapka told reporters.

Zelensky has submitted to parliament a request to
dismiss Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko based on the grounds that he has no
law school diploma, in violation of legal norms, Riaboshapka told reporters on
June 11. Lutsenko has said that he won’t resign his position until after the
parliamentary elections, scheduled for July 21.

Zenon Zawada: Dismissing
Poroshenko’s top officials and key appointments only works to Zelensky’s
political advantage. Poroshenko is accused of having made numerous appointments
to the Supreme Justice Council in order to have loyal judges in
place to prevent adverse rulings. Vasylenko is identified
by Western-sponsored NGOs as having a record of opposing judicial reform, in
addition to being loyal to Poroshenko.

Just as parliament resisted dismissing Prime Minister
Volodymyr Groysman, we expect the parliamentary majority (loyal to Poroshenko)
will resist Zelensky’s request to dismiss Lutsenko in order to keep a member of
the “old guard” in place for as long as possible, particularly during these
elections, which will be highly competitive and possibly tumultuous.