Archive for February, 2014

Welcome the new boss …. same as the old boss (with some fascist backbone added).
February 28, 2014

The interim government of the Ukraine has been passed and after the “revolution” we seem to have gone back in time to the days of Tymoshenko. Her party (Homeland) is very well represented and has the Prime Minister and one of the First Deputy Prime Ministers as well as several other positions. It should be remembered that in addition to this Turchynov of the same party is still interim president.

The position of the far right has been significantly strengthened. Svoboda has one of the two First Deputy Prime Minister positions as well as two other cabinet positions. It should be remembered that the interim Attorney General is also one of theirs. As well a significant position has been found for
Andriy Parubi. (Secretary of National Security and Defence Council).

This is the government:

Arseniy Yatseniuk – Prime Minister. Fatherland Party (Tymoshenko)
Washingtons choice. (Yats as Victoria Nuland calls him)
Was Minister of Economy from 2005 to 2006, Foreign Minister in 2007 and Chairman of the Parliament from 2007 to 2008.
(Irish readers will be interested to know that he is apparently a rank homophobe as he has stated his opposition to same sex marriages.. )

Other Fatherland Ministers:
Vitaliy Yarema – First Deputy Prime Minister
Former General and Chief of the Kiev police.
Pavlo Petrenko – Justice
Ostap Semerak – Minister of Cabinet of Ministers.
Arsen Avakov – Minister of the Interior
Armenian. Avoided corruption charges a few years back by going to Italy. Was placed on Interpols wanted list.
Maksim Burbak – Infrastructure Minister
Lyudmyla Denisova – Social Policy
Served as a Minister under Tymoshenko. Has faced corruption charges in past.

Fatherland connected (?):
Yury Prodan – Minister of Energy
Not sure of Party but he was Energy minister under Tymoshenko. Very controversial.
Reputed to be close to the oligarch Igor Kolomoisky.

Fascists:
Oleksandr Sych – Deputy Prime Minister. Svoboda.
Andriy Mokhnyk – Ecology Minister. Svoboda – Deputy Chair.
Ihor Shvaika – Agriculture. Svoboda
Serhiy Kvit – Minister for Education
Academic. Rector of University
Putting him here as I read that he has been a member of several far right organisations in the past.

Unsure of politics (other than being pro-west or against Russia):
Andriy Deshchytsia – Minister of Foreign Affairs .
Career Diplomat
Pavlo Sheremeta – Minister of Economy
Professional Economist. Previous connection with the Open Society Foundation established by George Soros.
Volodymyr Hroisman – Deputy Prime Minister on Regional Development.
Mysteryman. Nothing really in English about him on the internet other than being Mayor of the city of Vinnytsia in Central Ukraine. I think he may have been associated with Conscience of Ukraine, a defunct political party. I did come across a photo of him with the head of USAID, for what that is worth. Why he is a Minister I can’t say but apparently close to the oligarch Petro Poroshenko.
Yevhen Nishchuk – Minister of Culture
An actor. His qualification for the position seems to be that he MC of the stage in the square for the occupation.
Oleh Musiy -Minister of Health
A doctor. His qualification for the position seems to be that he was in charge of treating protesters
Dmytro Bulatov – Minister of Sports and Youth
Absolutely nothing on the internet about his background or qualifications. He was an organiser of car protests against the government and seems to have an NGO connection. Claimed to have been kidnapped during the protests by government forces (with Russians I think he said) and was tortured by being crucified … i.e. nailed to a door (though there were no wounds on his hands that would support that). There was a bit of one ear missing, however, which allowed him to appear at the press conference with his face covered in blood.
Ihor Tenyukh – Defence
Former Admiral.
Oleksandr Shlapak – Minister of Finance
In previous cabinets under Kuchma and Yushchenko. Was a witness for the prosecution against Tymoshenko. Has been described as another representative of the oligarch Kolomoisky.

I have also seen these announcements but I’m not sure if they are Cabinet positions:
Andriy Parubi – Secretary of National Security and Defence Council
Elected as a Fatherland deputy but one to watch carefully. Far Right. He founded the Svoboda party with Oleh Tyahnybok. Very dangerous man.

Tetyana Chornovol – Anti- Corruption Bureau
Campaigning journalist but has ultra-right background. She joined the UNA-UNSO (very Nazi) organization at the age of 17, and later began her media work there as a press secretary.

(Apologies for any inaccuracies in this. There have been a number of different lists and what with different spellings for names etc. it has been a bit of a chore pinning it all down.)

Sam Lord  27 February 2014

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