European Forum

Ukrainian Parliament sacks Interior Minister

Ukraine's Parliament yesterday (27 January) dismissed the Interior Minister, Yuri Lutsenko, a close ally of Presidential candidate and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

The motion to sack Lutsenko was initiated by the pro-Russian Party of Regions leader Victor Yanukovych, who faces Tymoshenko in runoff vote for the Presidency to be held on 7 February. The motion, at a special session of the 450-seat Parliament, was narrowly passed by 231 votes.

The Regions Party has accused the Interior Ministry of not adhering to court decisions and most recently failing to act when a printing press producing ballot papers for the February election was attacked. Its officials have said Tymoshenko, as Prime Minister, has the resources to influence voters and they can now say the loss of Lutsenko in his key role of Interior Minister has weakened her chances of doing this.

Tymoshenko hits back
Tymoshenko immediately appeared to move to maintain her ally at the Ministry. She said on 27 January that Lutsenko would continue to head the Ministry as its first Deputy Minister. "Today at a government meeting, Lutsenko will be named the first deputy, the acting head and he will head the Interior Ministry," she was quoted by local agencies.

Lutsenko remains calm
Lutsenko has said he accepts his dismissal, and he promised to ensure public order after the second round of the Presidential election. "I accept this decision [on my dismissal] completely calmly, and at the same time I accept the decision to appoint me acting [interior minister]," Lutsenko said at a press conference in Kyiv on 28 January. He said that still he is responsible to the Interior Ministry and the entire country for ensuring a transparent election.

Commenting on possible mass protests on the streets, he said he assumes such actions would not cause social disruption if the second round of the Presidential election is held in an orderly way. "If the second round is turned into chaos via the seizure of the courts and administrative buildings, the bribery of voters, an unreal turnout of 98%... then of course, there will be mass protests," Lutsenko said, and added that "any mass protests by Ukrainians will be protected by the Interior Ministry alone. I will personally protect their right to demonstrate" regardless of whom they support. Lutsenko expressed hope that the second round would be held successfully, and said his task was to ensure this.

Place for Presidency at stake?
One analyst said the decision in Parliament would not only be a blow to Tymoshenko's campaign for the President's post but also may safeguard an election result from future challenge. "This means the Regions party has succeeded in weakening its rival in a significant part of the election process," said Volodymyr Fesenko, director of he PENTA think tank. "The acting head of the Interior Ministry will maintain neutrality. This will all increase the chances of Yanukovych from the point of view of defending the result of the election and its legitimacy after voting.

The opposition in Parliament has tried to sack Lutsenko several times, most recently last year after German police said they had detained him at a Frankfurt airport for drunk and disorderly behaviour.

Updated: 29 January, 11:27

Sources: Kyiv Post; Reuters