Leonid Kuchma’s June 12 cadre allocations included the appointment of the United Social Democrat and leader of the SDPU(O) faction Viktor Medvedchuk head of the Presidential Administration. Without doubt this has attracted the greatest media interest. Predicted by some and totally unexpected by others, the presidential edict announcing the appointment seems to have injected a huge dose of adrenaline into the entire domestic political community.
Most politicians and analysts that have commented on the occurrence to date believe that Leonid Kuchma has made a strong move (“The president never makes decisions other than the best,” said Medvedchuk’s predecessor and current Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn). No one (not even the anti-presidential political forces, believed by some analysts to be facing the need to change their tactics for the period until 2004) will deny that Viktor Medvedchuk is a strong and, most importantly, systemic political manager. He has repeatedly demonstrated expert knowledge of business as well as authoritarian technologies. He is 47, a doctor of jurisprudence, and with an enviable service record: president of the Ukrainian Union of Lawyers (since 1990); chairman of the cabinet’s supreme board of experts of the Bar (since 1994); member of the president’s employer’s council; member of the president’s supreme economic council; originator of a number of business structures, including the corporation Kyiv Dynamo Soccer Club, B.I.M international law firm, Slavutych industrial-financial concern; corresponding member of the Ukrainian Academy of Economic sciences; recipient of the prestigious title Merited Lawyer of Ukraine and of government awards; first Deputy Speaker during the Verkhovna Rada of the third convocation (2000-02) and actually presiding over most sessions in the absence of Speaker Ivan Pliushch who often took ill. It was under his chairmanship that the previous parliament passed a number of extremely important bills.
On the other hand, the president’s choice is further evidence that the cadre reserve of this caliber is limited in Ukraine (Mr. Kuchma has often complained that “our back bench is too small”).
In fact, Viktor Medvedchuk has never been a bench warmer, not even after being ousted by opponents as first vice speaker last December. Under his guidance, the United Social Democrats carried out a complicated election campaign, showing an even turnout in almost all regions of Ukraine. SPDU(O)’s victory in the speaker saga was acknowledged even by political opponents. The party leader’s consistent stand in professing the Social Democratic ideology was manifest in his choosing the “unprestigious” social policy and labor committee of Verkhovna Rada.
How will this administrative appointment, albeit not the highest possible in Ukraine, affect Viktor Medvedchuk as a public politician? Naturally, much will depend on how he can use the capacities and limitations of the current post at the head of the Presidential Administration.
COMMENTS
Leonid KRAVCHUK:
The appointment is evidence that the president remains true to his philosophy of always having a politician in charge of his administration. Viktor Medvedchuk is a noted Ukrainian politician. Second, he is a trained lawyer. His new post means handling documents including 80% of laws signed by the president, edicts, directives, and so on. All this requires legal knowledge, an ability to assess all legal aspects. As a doctor of law, Mr. Medvedchuk specializes in state construction. In addition, he is the leader of a powerful political party, he was first vice speaker, he knows everything there is to know about Ukraine, not just this or that region or Kyiv. He has also worked on an international scope in an international law firm and, as the SDPU(O) leader, has taken part in Social Democratic conventions in a number of countries. He is chairman of the Eastern European Social Democratic Forum. Thus, I consider that the president’s decision is justified and logical.
Quite frankly, the president’s choice is good for the party on the one hand, for it means that we are getting attention and are entrusted with such important posts; on the other hand, it means a number of problems, as our faction is without a leader now. Besides, Mr. Medvedchuk will have less time to spend on party work, because from now on he will have an extremely busy schedule. Under his leadership, the SPDU(O) grew into a powerful force, in terms of organization and political potential.
There is, of course, one other aspect to the appointment; in a democratic country, when solving problems by means of administrative pressure, appointments are made proceeding from the appointee’s regional influence, political, organizational, and financial capacities. In other words, we are moving into a phase of controlling the process where every single appointment has very significant consequences. Previously, all such cadre changes had no principal political importance and the only thing that counted was the appointee’s ability to act as instructed upstairs. Now every such figure is backed by certain forces. Viktor Medvedchuk, for example, can rely on SDPU(O) and certain important business circles. It is only natural for corporate groups to compete among themselves. The main thing is for that competition to stay democratic and civilized, meant to protect the interests of Ukraine whatever the alignment of forces.
Dmytro VYDRIN, director, European Institute of Integration and Development:
The appointment of Viktor Medvedchuk as head of the presidential administration was to be expected. In fact, the most likely candidates were Yatsuba, Kravchenko, and Medvedchuk. The latter’s appointment was the president’s logical move, considering that he had long sought a strong willful figure capable of worthily protecting the administration’s interests during the presidential campaign (the latter has actually begun for many contenders). The president chose a person that knows all there is to know about the law, who knows how to cooperate with the parliament, and who will secure a stable connection between the administration and Verkhovna Rada.
At the same time, I think that Viktor Medvedchuk acted somewhat contrary to logic [in accepting the appointment]. The status of a party leader and popular public figure becomes him more than that of a civil servant. Also, this appointment in a way lowers his chances as a presidential contender, considering that most will be public figures. On the other hand, the United Social Democratic leader could have reasons of his own – for example, a desire to enhance the executive vertical.
As for what decided the head of state, all things considered, I don’t think that it was any kind of maneuvering to balance the key political and financial groups. At least, as a political scientist, I wouldn’t want such considerations to have been at play. I believe that the important thing is not so much balancing financial and political forces as having them focus in on the implementation of certain strategic plans. For this reason I would like to believe that such important appointments are based on far-reaching strategic objectives, not on backstage squabbles and petty intrigues.
