Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk announced his resignation on April 10. The announcement came as a piece of long-awaited news for many Ukrainians. On Tuesday, the document of his resignation will be submitted to the parliament for approval. At the same time, Yatsenyuk's People's Front faction will remain in the coalition.
However, this event is likely to become another stage of political struggle, rather than a solution to the political crisis in the Ukrainian authorities. Opponents of the outgoing prime minister believe that Yatsenyuk's resignation will not solve all existing problems.
As expected, Yatsenyuk named his intended successor - Verkhovna Rada speaker Vladimir Groisman. Yatsenyuk's statement was called "sensational", despite the fact that Ukraine had been waiting for him to step down since February of this year.
As many experts claim, Arseny Yatsenyuk's resignation came as a result of negotiations inside the Ukrainian administration. Apparently, the talks ended satisfactorily for all parties concerned.
Announcing his resignation, Yatsenyuk made a few broad hints: "Commitment to national principles and staunchness - it is these traits that I see as the essence of a true national leader." The prime minister added that from now on, his "objectives are greater than those of the head of the government."
Verkhovna Rada deputy Sergei Leshchenko said that the resignation of Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk was an agreement between President of Petro Poroshenko, oligarchs Rinat Akhmetov and Igor Kolomoisky, Gromadske TV said.
"This is a pure form of agreement, when oligarchs and the president sat down to decide what to do next and how to find a format that would satisfy all," the MP said.
Odessa region governor and former president of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili posted a statement in revolutionary style: "Our struggle has brought a first result, but to be honest, I have more causes for concern against the background of recent backroom agreements and fights," Saakashvili wrote on his Facebook page.
According to Ukrainian radical Oleg Lyashko, Yatsenyuk's resignation was a piece of good news. "Good, but not enough," he said and immediately predicted another Maidan.
"The political crisis can not be solved with the resignation of PM Yatsenyuk that we welcome. The appointment of Groisman as the new prime minister is an attempt to usurp power by President Poroshenko. This will only aggravate the crisis and lead to a new revolution," said Lyashko.
"The opposition bloc" called for new elections and issued a statement: "The resignation of the prime minister marks recognition of the failure of all five factions of the coalition." "An attempt to make a new coalition from fragments of the old one does not make sense. If people in the administration of Ukraine would execute Ukrainian laws, they would not need Panamanian offshore or bribes from Czech companies. If the authorities believed in Ukraine, they would not need Georgians, Lithuanians and other exotics."
MP Anton Gerashchenko said that President Poroshenko would de facto become the head of the government: "The president wanted more power and authority for himself and his team - now he's got them."
Dnipropetrovsk Mayor Boris Filatov, (known for his remark about residents of Crimea and Donbass - "we will hang them later") supported the decision. "Before you celebrate someone leaving, remember that decent people do not spit in the back," he said cautiously.
According to Director of the Ukrainian Politics Foundation, Kostya Bondarenko, Yatsenyuk intends to create a political movement and start preparations for presidential elections.
Where will Yatsenyuk go? His US curators are not likely to leave their protege to the mercy of fate. Yatsenyuk may take quite a high position - this is one of the options. He may chair the National Bank of Ukraine. Such an appointment would be a balance to Poroshenko's monopoly position that will emerge with the appointment of Vladimir Groisman for the position of the new prime minister.
According to political scientist and director of the Kiev Center for Political and Conflict Studies, Mikhail Pogrebinsky, Yatsenyuk's resignation had been prepared long time in advance. "After Poroshenko visited the United States, he apparently received an approval to replace the prime minister. We do not know yet, whether Yatsenyuk refused from his ultimatums," Mikhail Pogrebinsky told Pravda.Ru.
Pravda.Ru
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