The public lustration committee intends to achieve the resignation of the head of the presidential administration (AP) of Ukraine, Andrew Bogdan. This is reported on the organization's Facebook page.
The committee sued Vladimir Zelensky, demanding to repeal the decree of May 21 to appoint the head of the Presidential Administration. The statement of claim, posted on the page of the Public Lustration Committee on Facebook, states that in 2010-2014 Bogdan was a government plenipotentiary for anti-corruption policy. In accordance with the law “On the cleansing of power” adopted in 2014, a person holding this position under President Viktor Yanukovych cannot serve in the civil service for ten years, the organization stresses.
The Ministry of Justice supported the claims of this organization to Bogdan. Zelensky was sent a letter stating that the head of the Presidential Administration was included in the list of persons to be checked for compliance with the requirements of the law On the Cleansing of Power, said Deputy Minister of Justice Sergey Petukhov on his Facebook.
Recall, the Public Lustration Committee was established after the coup d'etat in 2014. From his submission, Dmitry Isaenko, Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Public Utilities, and Vitaly Yarema, the Prosecutor General, were removed from their posts.
Lustration in action
Bogdan will not pass the test, they expressed confidence in the Public Lustration Committee.
“The law directly prohibits it from being returned to the public service until 2024, including to the position of the head of the Presidential Administration,” co-founder of the Public Lustration Committee, member of the Verkhovna Rada, Egor Sobolev wrote in his Facebook.
Andrey Bogdan left his comment on this post.
The head of the presidential administration said that the inclusion of his previous position in the law “On the cleansing of power” is revenge for opening corruption schemes of the non-factional deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, Yuri Derevyanko, in agreement with which Sobolev allegedly acts. The head of the Public Lustration Committee accusations rejected.
Bogdan also argues that the position of the head of the Presidential Administration is not mentioned in the law on civil service. Hence, legally he is not a civil servant and the law on lustration does not concern him.
On Thursday, May 23, the demand for Bogdan’s resignation was posted on the website of the Ukrainian president in the Petitions section. About 28 thousand people signed up for it in two days. In accordance with Ukrainian legislation, if the petition has collected more than 25 thousand signatures, it should be considered by the president of the country.
42-year-old lawyer Andrei Bogdan has extensive experience in government. From 2007 to 2010, he was Deputy Minister of Justice in the government of Yulia Tymoshenko. In the Cabinet of Ministers, Mykola Azarov went down: he became a government commissioner for anti-corruption policy issues.
- Meeting for holding lustration
- RIA News
- © Evgeny Kotenko
After the change of power, this position was liquidated. Bogdan took up private practice. In 2014–2015, he was a legal adviser to Igor Kolomoisky, then head of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Bogdan worked closely with Zelensky. In particular, he was responsible for the legal support of the work of his election headquarters.
Pressure attempt
Zelensky's team is tested for strength, experts say. An attempt to dismiss Bogdan can be initiated by both the enemies of the former Kolomoisky lawyer, the same Derevyanko, and opponents of the head of state, such as the former Ukrainian leader Peter Poroshenko, said in an interview with RT a member of the Council for Interethnic Relations under the President of Russia Bogdan Bezpalko.
“In any case, this is a blow to Zelensky. He barely became president - and lawsuits fell on him. The Verkhovna Rada, where the majority is still among Poroshenko’s supporters, is opposed to Zelensky, ”the expert emphasizes.
Sources RT in the Ukrainian parliament believe that, most likely, the ex-president of the country is behind the attack on Bogdan. They draw attention to the fact that the requirement of the Public Lustration Committee was supported by the Ministry of Justice. The Office announced its intention to check all deputy heads of the Presidential Administration to fulfill the requirements of the lustration law.
“Bogdan is a man of Igor Kolomoisky, and he is considered a very strong lawyer. He knows how to work with courts that were not reformed under the previous president in order to get the right decision. It is no secret that between Poroshenko and Kolomoisky strong conflict. It may result in criminal cases against the closest associates of the ex-president. It is possible that they will try to plant Poroshenko himself. Courts can act against other members of the political elite who are opposed to Kolomoisky. Therefore, now everything is being done to fire Bogdan, ”the source of RT in the Popular Front party said.
In his opinion, there is a “coordinated attack” on the head of the Zelensky administration. Both the Public Lustration Committee and the Ministry of Justice participate in it.
Also on the presidential portal was a petition for the resignation of Zelensky himself, recalled Vladimir Olenchenko, senior researcher at the Center for European Studies, IMEMO RAN.
“In any case, someone organizes and conducts it. Apparently, some certainty is expected from Zelensky, ”he said in an interview with RT.
- Journalist and Verkhovna Rada deputy Yegor Sobolev
- RIA News
A source in the party "Batkivschina" reports that the appointment of Bogdan dissatisfied in the United States. The administration of Donald Trump does not like the strengthening of the position of Igor Kolomoisky in Ukraine. Therefore, the chances of dismissal of Bogdan are very high, concludes the representative of "Batkivshchyna".
“At the same time, any scandal is now unfavorable for President Zelensky. He and his party “Servant of the People” want to win the upcoming parliamentary elections. For this, he needs to maintain his personal high rating. Therefore, he will try to get rid of people to whom there are any complaints, ”says the source.
Experts, however, believe that Bogdan is unlikely to leave anytime soon.
“I don’t think Zelensky will agree to simply hand over the head of his administration. After all, it means to reconsider one’s own decision, to show weakness, ”the Ukrainian political scientist Ruslan Bortnik stated in an interview with RT.
The threat of a team change
Opponents of Zelensky do not hide the fact that an attempt to remove Bogdan may be followed by an attack on other members of the team of the new head of state. It is possible that, under the influence of the United States, the president will very soon have to revise the personnel decisions that he made during the first days of his reign, says a source in the Petro Poroshenko Bloc party.
“There are a lot of questions, as the writers and filmmakers intend to govern the country. For example, Ivan Bakanov, the head of the Quarter 95 studio, was appointed the first deputy head of the SBU. And this is in a country that is at war! One visit of Zelensky to Washington - and scriptwriters, directors and just good friends of the president will leave their posts, ”the source said.
The more neutral-minded in relation to the head of state, the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada admit that the Zelensky team lacks those whom he could trust. Therefore, key positions are often random people.
“But on the other hand, who to trust? Representatives of the previous government, who very much hope for the mistakes of the presidential team before the parliamentary elections? ”Said the RT source in the Radical Party.
At the same time, experts believe that, most likely, only individual representatives of the Zelensky team will leave. The most vulnerable positions are at the first assistant to the president of Ukraine, Sergey Shefira, Bogdan Bezpalko believes.
“He is closely associated with Zelensky, he is one of the founders of the Quarter 95 studio, a good producer, writer, showman, but not a politician. I doubt that Shefir will stay in the president’s team for a long time, ”he said.
However, according to Bortnik, it is unlikely that in the future the Law “On the cleansing of power” will be used to attack Zelensky.
“Bogdan is one of the few people on the presidential team who worked under Yanukovych in the position that is subject to lustration. Of course, Zelensky far from all appointments made. But I don’t think that he will be substituted, ”believes Ruslan Bortnik.
In addition, according to the expert, it is politically unprofitable to use the law “On cleansing power” for attacks on the president.
“Ukrainians treat lustration ambiguously. I think that most do not support it or simply do not understand why it is needed. In addition, we should not forget that this law is now under consideration by the Constitutional Court. It means that soon it can be canceled altogether, ”reminds Bortnik.