Status: 07/19/2022 1:49 p.m
The head and numerous employees of the Ukrainian secret service have to go, as well as a general prosecutor: the dismissals by President Zelenskyj are viewed critically by the opposition in Kyiv.
Now it’s official: the Ukrainian parliament has approved the dismissal of the head of the domestic intelligence service. Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s party, Sluha Narodu, has the parliamentary majority. The dismissal of SBU boss Ivan Bakanov went through quickly. Bakanov himself reported to Telegram, the official channel of the domestic intelligence service SBU. He emphasized his achievements, but also regretted possible mistakes. His farewell statement reads forgiving, Bakanov continues to swear the Ukrainians to unity.
Parliament also approved the dismissal of Attorney General Iryna Venediktova – she is a member of the presidential party. The events are spreading in Ukraine.
Opposition politician is critical of the dismissal
Volodymyr Ariev is a member of the Ukrainian Parliament. He represents the opposition party European Solidarity. He sees the President’s decision to suspend both high-ranking officials ARD-Conversation critical: “This is not a positive decision, especially at the moment when Ukraine needs unity, political unity. And it needs a clear legitimate decision that will not be doubted afterwards.”
The Ukrainian president justified the suspension with a large number of defectors within the two agencies that would work with Russia. So he held the authorities responsible.
“Do you have someone better?”
Andrei Borovik of Transparency International in Ukraine says: “I see the decision neither negatively nor positively because I don’t think either of them is the perfect person to fill these posts at the SBU and the General Prosecutor’s Office. But do they have someone better? I don’t know. ” The two posts are important, especially in war.
However, critics such as the opposition politician Arjew suspect other reasons for the suspension in addition to the allegations of collaboration.
I think Zelenskyj is currently trying to build a strong power structure, especially in the legal institutions and in the security authorities. These will be under the complete control of his presidency, with one person in charge who will then have influence over the newly appointed people.
But that is not a democratic way, says Ariev. Despite martial law, some political issues are unavoidable. “Because Ukraine is a democratic state.”
Borowik from Transparency International offers fundamental criticism of the entire procedure – especially around the filling of the post of Attorney General:
Let’s see how the Attorney General is appointed in the first place. The President proposes someone to Parliament. So right from the start there is no competition, no test of professional skills or anything like that. For the 30 years of our independence, the Attorney General and the President were pretty close regardless of who was President.
Bad news from the front
A proposal to ensure more competition has failed. One is not prepared to make this open and competitive, says Borowik. In the middle of the war, Zelenskyy will continue to overhaul the Attorney General’s Office and the security apparatus. He has already announced that 28 employees are to be laid off.
And there is no relief in sight at the front either. The Ukrainian population continues to be woken up in the middle of the night. By shelling and rocket attacks. As is the case today in the Odessa region in the south, in the Dnipro region in central Ukraine and in villages and settlements in the north-east of the country. Even during the day there are often air raid alarms in many places – sometimes several times a day. The summer at war is filled with fear.