10 minutes with the Prime Minister
07.02.2016 23:20 | Fin.Org.UA / Ukrainian Governmentmargin:2.0cm 42.5pt 2.0cm 3.0cm;
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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!