Week’s milestones. Resonant Nasirov, two major holidays, and restless Samopomich

Taking into custody of Roman Nasirov had no considerable impact on Ukrainian politicians. Ukraine this week was balancing between the International Women's Day and Taras Shevchenko’s birthday. Samopomich continues to study the mechanisms of Ukrainian politics.

After a long battle between Ukrainian fiscal chief Roman Nasirov’s defense team and the prosecution in Solomensky district court in Kyiv, accompanied by a rally of concerned citizens, the dismissed official was taken to a detention center to remain under custody pending trial. Meanwhile, it took little to no time for the investigative journalists to reveal that Nasirov’s successor, Myroslav Prodan, had a posh Lexus registered on his mother, while some media outlets started spinning loads of pieces in support of the arrested Nasirov. Legislators supportive of NABU seem to more interested in the creation of the Anti-Corruption Court than in updating the Code of Criminal Procedure, as its immense flaws have already become a talk of the town. Non-parliamentary politicians take each opportunity to remind of their existence: former Odesa governor Mikheil Saakashvili reported on the alleged media instructions from Presidential Administration regarding himself – the move anything but unique for any sort of politician.

It is interesting that the most high profile arrest of a Ukrainian official in recent years has left the MPs practically indifferent. The number of those urging to prosecute Nasirov and those who have publicly stood up for him does not exceed the statistical error of the total number of MPs. This fact perfectly illustrates the effectiveness of the current composition of the Verkhovna Rada. At the end of last week, the deputies finally managed to discuss the provisions of the IMF cooperation memorandum. As reported earlier, the Fund requires reforming the pension and banking systems, and consistent efforts to introduce farmland turnover.

Yulia Tymoshenko speaking with TSN news service tried to answer the questions accumulated among the voters to one of the leaders of the presidential rating. Batkivshchyna leader traditionally posed as a sinless politician who turned out to be in opposition only by a strange whim of fate and as a result of enemy machinations.

Last week, Ukraine balanced the International Women's Day and Taras Shevchenko's birthday, which has not yet become a state holiday. Presenting the winners of the Shevchenko Prize in literature, Petro Poroshenko stressed that Ukraine was going through the most difficult period in its history. His words about the need to mobilize efforts may be superfluous as millions of Ukrainians do a lot to bring closer the victory in the country’s confrontation with Russia, and it is a great pity that politicians often do not look like leaders, but rather like extras.

PM Volodymyr Groysman last week visited his home city of Vinnytsia, announcing the nearest governmental initiatives in healthcare. As the government is preparing a yearly report, it's easy to guess that the Cabinet's steps this month will be aimed at successfully passing its parliamentary exam. Among government’s achievements is definitely a successful passing of a second consecutive heating season without Russian gas supplies. The prime minister took an opportunity to criticize the activists of the so-called trade blockade of Donbas, which has so far been publicly supported by Samopomich party. Although, this support seems to be compulsory rather than voluntary.

Its leader, Mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadoviy said he had had a difficult conversation with Petro Poroshenko and Interior Minister Arsen Avakov in Kyiv. During the party convention held in the country’s capital, Sadoviy urged the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from the temporarily occupied areas of Donbas (those who do not want to live under occupation), stop trade with the enemy, and call the war a war. Obviously, many of Ukrainians share his position, but why hadn’t anyone told the promising politician that in the conditions of war it would be at least short-sighted to restrict imports of strategic resources to the country… But that’s what essentially his party is actively doing.

Yevgeny Magda

UNIAN in Google News