Original article in Ukrainian by Volodymyr Kurennoy, for UP
Translated by Eugene Ivantsov
Democratic coalition and the government have already started their work. This is a good sign in itself.
The government has been formed according to the people’s will.
One could say that the so-called broad coalition would better protect national interests and work more efficiently.
Such a statement is reasonable enough, although rather disputable.
Some experts claim that stabilization of the political and social-economic situation is only possible in the event the broad coalition is formed while the democratic coalition is doomed to instability having an advantage of 2-3 votes.
The author believes that both statements are wrong. The authority will be instable either way.
Analyzing the system of state governance stipulated by the Political Reform one can clearly state that the Constitution of Ukraine causes instability and creates insolvable problems.
The first and the main problem is two centers of the executive power in the country.
Let’s be frank. There are two centers of the executive power in the country. The Cabinet of Ministers is opposed to the separate authority personified by the President’s Secretariat.
The President appoints and discharges heads of regional and district state administrations.
He has the right to nominate his candidates for the positions of the Defense and Foreign Ministers, the Head of the Security Service.
In fact, the President heads a parallel government consisting of two ministers, governors and the Head of the National Security and Defense Council.
In addition, the President’s Secretariat has its own ambitions.
It is rather disputable who is more influential in the duet “the President-his secretariat.”
Two decision-making centers in the executive power cannot be effective. The conflict is inevitable here.
The conflict is inevitable not only when the government is in opposition to the President as it used to be when Viktor Yanukovych headed the Cabinet.
Conflicts are inevitable in the union of the BYuT and NU-NS.
Whatever government is formed it will conflict with the President’s Secretariat in case it duly fulfils its duties. Otherwise it will become a “defective government.”
It goes without saying about claims of the President’s Secretariat for positions in the authority and reluctance to agree nominations for the heads of state administrations with the Cabinet of Ministers.
One can see that the President issues commissions to the government.
However, the Constitution of Ukraine does not grant such a right to the head of state, otherwise he would have become the highest executive authority. As known, it is the government that is the highest executive authority in the country.
Everybody remembers suspension of governmental decrees.
This is in fact interference with competence of the executive power.
By the way, governments at all levels tend to refer to such practice approbated by the central government.
The author does not want to stir up hatred between the government and the President.
There is no necessity in it, especially having such an ambitious PM and the presidential campaign ahead of us. However, one should not be blind to the current problems that may result in the new political crisis.
There is one obvious thing now: as long as the current Constitution is in action the country is doomed to face conflicts between the president, government and the Verkhovna Rada.
Having started implementation of the Political Reform in 2004-2006 we made one cautious step forward, then went around in a circle and eventually stepped back.
Current Ukrainian elite should state ineffectiveness and disability of the established political system and search for a new more effective system.
There are two choices. It is either presidential or parliamentary republic. Each system has its advantages and drawbacks. Anyway, both are better than the current model.
Now, this elite is busy sharing positions in the authority. But soon, it will end because there are no offices for everybody. Sooner or later, the authority will have to consider all-national problems.
These problems are not return of the Soviet Bank’s savings, status of UPA soldiers or switch to a contract-based army. Let’s leave fantasy for Tolkien’s fans.
There are three or four major problems: decline of the communal services, energy security and energy supplies, improvement of education, health care and social standards etc.
But these problems can be solved only if the political system is amended. Thus, it turns out that the Constitutional Reform in inevitable.
Otherwise the country will be plunged in the permanent crisis which will result in decline of the economy and competitiveness of the country.
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Volodymyr Kurennoy, MP of the 5th Verkhovna Rada. Head of the Fund for Freedom and Democracy
