On Nov. 28, the Verkhovna
Rada surprised everybody by refusing to replace the current very competent
governor of the National Bank of Ukraine by a deputy who is also the head of a
commercial banking group. Mr. Tihipko originally ran Dnipropetrovsk-based
PrivatBank. Last year, he set up a new group called TAS (the initials
supposedly stand for Tihipko Anna Serhiyivna, his 16-year old daughter). They
bought out Société Générale’s investment branch in Kyiv when the French packed
it in.
The
conflict of interest issue has had everyone on their ear. Even the IMF and the
World Bank have had their say about Mr. Kuchma’s candidate.
This
is a partial transcription of what took place in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
on Dec. 12, thanks to my trusty dictaphone. The matter of dismissing Mr. Stelmakh was brought up a second time
at the request of President Kuchma. The session started out normally enough.
10:01
Speaker
Lytvyn: Good morning, honorable deputies,
guests and visitors to the VR… 429 deputies have registered. I hereby declare
this session open… Mr. Ostash please.
Deputy
Ostash: My fellow deputies, I would like
to draw your attention to the fact that we are in violation of our own
procedures here today. Bills and resolutions rejected by the VR or those that
essentially repeat bills that have been rejected, cannot be entered into the
agenda during the same sitting of the legislature. According to this rule, we
cannot today examine the question of removing the governor of the National Bank
of Ukraine. We therefore request that this item be struck from the agenda.
Lytvyn: Thank you.
Deputy
Matvienko: Mr. Speaker and Mr. Premier, I
have a question to both of you. Could you please explain what is happening
here? We’re violating VR regulations. No new circumstances have appeared, yet
we have the dismissal of Mr. Stelmakh on our agenda again. The VR has already
made its position clear regarding the president’s request.
Lytvyn: I can answer your question right now, Mr. Matvienko.
We’re not in violation.
Noise
errupts in the hall.
Deputy
Lutsenko: My honorable deputies and the
not-so-honorable Presidium. I would like to move that we give the podium to
Deputy Sas.
Lyvtyn: Mr. Sas, please take the podium.
More
noise in the hall.
Lytvyn: Please step forward. Deputy Sas from the VR
procedures committee.
Deputy
Sas: Thank you, Mr. Speaker… (goes on to
explain the procedural details) … The second appeal of the President can’t be
considered during the current VR session, according to VR rules.
Lytvyn: Thank you. Please finish. My fellow deputies, please
take your places. Please. The procedures committee has made its position clear.
Let’s move along, please. What else is needed? My fellow deputies, please take
your places. Are we going to have to toss someone out?
More
noise in the hall.
Lytvyn: Please, my fellow deputies. There are two draft
resolutions regarding this issue–
More
noise in the hall.
Lytvyn: Are you going to let me talk or not? I repeat. There
are two – come on, now. I will make an announcement and then you can talk. Will
you please quiet down or not? There’s a draft resolution put forward by
Deputies Yushchenko, Moroz and Tymoshenko, about the unacceptability of this
resolution. We will put this first one to a vote, about the unacceptability of
the second resolution according to VR regulations, correct? And then we will
put the other resolution to the vote, if necessary.
More
noise in the hall.
Lytvyn: My fellow deputies, I declare this session adjourned
until 10:45.
10:46
Lytvyn: My fellow deputies, let’s agree to one thing. I just
met with the heads of all the factions. We agreed that first we will all take
our places and then–
Noise
errupts in the hall.
Lytvyn: Hold on a minute, my fellow colleagues, this won’t
do! Please listen! If it’s necessary, I will tell you when to come to the
podium. Please, take your seats and then you can come up one by one. We
discussed the matter and came to – my fellow deputies – we came to the
conclusion that–
More
noise in the hall.
Lytvyn: My fellow deputies, the question is not so much a
procedural one since it has taken on political overtones. As Mr. Yushchenko
rightly said, there is a conflict of interests. So that there isn’t any further
conflict of interests among us, and so that we can work in a civilized manner,
I ask you to please take your seats. Mr. Stelmakh would like the right to speak
and explain his position.
More
noise in the hall.
Lytvyn: My fellow deputies, please! We agreed, if you – my
fellow deputies – if you’re not prepared to listen – if you’re not prepared to
listen to what the leaders of your factions – We agreed that you would all take your seats. I’m asking you
once more. My fellow deputies, I told you what happened during the last recess.
Now we have a motion that we can’t really turn down. There’s a motion that we
adjourn in order to consult with the NDP faction and the Industrialists. This
session is hereby adjourned until 11:40.
11:41.
Lytvyn: My fellow deputies, during the last recess, we tried
to – please, I ask you, what are you doing here? Are you going to knock me
over? I’m state property… We had a constructive discussion but neither side was
willing to change their position. Mr. Stelmakh tendered his resignation and
this is what it says:
“Please
accept my resignation from the position of Governor of the NBU –”
Noise
errupts in the hall.
Lytvyn: Hold on, I’m still reading – come on, folks, what’s
going on here? His letter is being reviewed now, so I think this question has
to be postponed. Now, so you all can calm down, I move that we all start
working properly at 12:30. After that, I would appreciate if everyone put their
minds to working seriously, productively and quickly. We have an entire list of
documents to review. Are there any objections to this motion? I announce this
session adjourned until 12:30… (etc etc, ad nauseam)
There
were two more adjournment and in the end, all that happened was a few
microphones were broken, a few noses were out of joint, and Mr. Stelmakh kept
his job. Makes you wonder why anyone would pay hundreds of thousands of dollars
to be elected to such a thankless post… •
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