Yuschenko may reshuffle Cabinet (02/04/01)

Yuschenko may reshuffle Cabinet

RFE/RL Newsline

KYIV - Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko on January 30 said a decision on reshuffling his Cabinet may be made "within the next two to three days."

Meanwhile, the chief of the presidential administration, Volodymyr Lytvyn, said the recently discussed idea of forming a coalition Cabinet in Ukraine cannot be implemented. According to Mr. Lytvyn, a coalition Cabinet may be formed only following appropriate amendments to the Constitution. Mr. Lytvyn noted that now the appointment of a Cabinet or its members can be made only by way of consultations between the executive and legislative branches, adding that the Verkhovna Rada does not have a "deciding say."

Four days earlier, RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report had reported that Mr. Yuschenko said he is interested in the creation of a coalition government in Ukraine, but added that the current Parliament has no coalition that could form such a Cabinet. Mr. Yuschenko was commenting on lawmaker Serhii Tyhypko's proposal that the Verkhovna Rada initiate Mr. Yuschenko's ouster if the latter fails to form a coalition Cabinet.

"We have a [parliamentary] coalition formed on the basis of various ideas that are not necessarily political," Mr. Yuschenko noted. He said it is "theoretically impossible" to propose a coalition Cabinet on the basis of the 11 caucuses and groups that currently constitute the so-called "parliamentary majority."

Mr. Yuschenko added that his Cabinet is a "quasi-coalition," since some of its members are affiliated with political parties or parliamentary groups.

RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report also reported that Mr. Yuschenko commented following Oleh Dubyna's appointment as vice prime minister to replace Yulia Tymoshenko that the Cabinet will conduct an "even tougher" policy of exacting payments from energy and fuel consumers. He also pledged that the government will pay more attention to the privatization of regional energy companies.

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