10 minutes with the Prime Minister

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Dear Ukrainian families, good evening!

Today I want to talk about policy, or rather about the political crisis in Ukraine. Crisis is always an opportunity. I believe that this crisis was now crucial for the Ukrainian political class. And we should use this opportunity to reboot the relations in the Ukrainian authorities. To declare the guidelines, which the Ukrainian Government will follow in work, thereby advancing on the way of reforms.

As the Government we took office as a single Government team. It consists of politicians, it consists of technocrats. But it is a single entity, which in the last 12 months has been implemented the difficult, unpopular but correct solutions for the country.

Frankly speaking, I admit that we have made a lot of mistakes, that we often went behind the whirl of activities and that it was often necessary to act promptly in implementing the reforms. But I request to acknowledge the fact that during 12 months this Government has introduced more reforms and changes in the country than all antecedent-governments for over two decades.

We have always been aware that some of these reforms today are very unpopular. But this is the only recipe of how Ukraine could achieve in the future significant economic, social and political results, of how Ukraine can become part of the European Union and the great European community.

On what principles we, as the Government’s team, are ready to prolong our activity?

The first principle is the absence of political pressure and political corruption. Each Minister, who is appointed by the Government’s coalition, bears full responsibility for the sector within his/her competence and for the policy which he determines in the sector. None of the political figures or businessmen, who has his own interests, has no right to put pressure on the Minister and force him/her to make decisions that contradict the policy of the Minister and the interests of the Ukrainian state. No more political quotas in government authorities and public management. No more political and business interests in the management of state-owned companies and national banks.

The second principle is complete intolerance of corruption, both political and economic. Any appointments to state-owned companies shall be made exceptionally by an independent nominating committee. Hence, 60 largest public companies will get new and independent leaders. Independent of political factions and parties, as also of business groups and business elites.

At that, in 2016 Ukraine should launch an honest and transparent privatization process. The privatization process should be triggered for the Odessa Port Plant, the company Centrenergo and other energy companies. The Parliament should adopt the law, which allows the strategic investor to participate in open and transparent fair competition to purchase public facilities aimed to attract foreign investment, create new jobs, modernize the Ukrainian economy and deprive the state-owned companied of political influence and a status of earner for one or another political party and force.

The third principle is the principle of full transparency in the activity of heads of executive authorities, local self-government bodies and MPs of Ukraine. A session of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine will be broadcast live. We must root out the telephone rule and any attempt to conclude backstage deals behind the scene of the transparent Ukrainian policy. For this purpose the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopts a decision on introduction of a Code of ethics for civil servants and submits to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine a Code of integrity of politicians. These decisions envisage compulsory record of all meetings and negotiations between political figures and heads of government authorities in Ukraine.

The fourth principle is the principle of responsibility. Under the Constitution, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is accountable to and controlled by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. It is the constitutional duty of the Prime Minister and Ministers of the Government to report honestly and transparently to the Ukrainian Parliament for the work we were hired to fulfill. The Government has been formed by the parliamentary coalition. The activities of the Government are determined in the coalition agreement and the Programme of Activities of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which was supported by members of the Ukrainian Parliament. This means that the Government fulfills its duty as an executive branch. But the Ukrainian Parliament vote for those laws which are necessary for carrying out reforms within the country and trust the Government that it formed. And helps the Government to change the country and to adopt correct decisions for the Ukrainian state.

The fifth principle is the principle of distribution of powers. The President of Ukraine is the Head of the Ukrainian state. And the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is responsible to the President.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is the executive branch, which is responsible for social, economic, financial and fiscal policy, which is responsible for the financing of the army and the Armed Forces, which requires an absolute executive power to implement the plan of reforms, which is defined by the Head of the Ukrainian state.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is the legislative body, to which the Ukrainian Government is accountable and responsible and which enacts laws to ensure implementation of the Programme of Activities of the Government and the coalition agreement.

The political discussion of the necessity to change Government has lasted from the first day of appointment of this Government. The President and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine have the right to submit to the Parliament a resolution of no confidence in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. If anyone of our politicians believes that the incumbent Government fails to implement the program and fails to introduce the reforms, it means that having 150 votes they can submit the resolution of no confidence in the Government to the Parliament and support an appropriate resignation.

But stop frightening us with resignation. We came here to work for the sake of a real change in the country. And now it is not about personalities, but about definite value priorities. About the economic program of stabilization of the situation in the country and the political stability in the Ukrainian state.

In the struggle for power and lucrative income, certain politicians have forgotten that Ukraine is in a state of war which was declared by Russia, that we have not yet overcome the economic crisis and that people expect a real change in the country.

My team and I will not stop half way in implementing reforms. That is why the Ukrainian Ministers decided to get back to the Government in order to carry out these changes in the country on those principles that have just been hereby announced. If someone else has an alternative program or does not share those principles, which were proclaimed, just take over the responsibility. But we will continue to follow this way. Building a strong, sovereign European Ukraine.

Dear Ukrainian people! The most important thing now is to prevent any frustration and dismay, to have a cool head and faith, faith in our bright future, for the sake of achievements and for the future generations.

Yesterday I had a meeting with the Ukrainian youth. These were IT-specialists and programmers. These are young faces with radiant eyes, they are intelligent and believe in the future of our country. We have no right to undermine that trust and have to prove that the values of the Maidan win every day.

May God protect the Ukrainian families, our army and our country!