On Saturday Ukrayinska pravda and the “Podrobytsi” television news program reported that President Kuchma had signed an order that day dismissing Ukrainian Internal Affairs Minister Yuri Kravchenko. Yesterday Forum, an Internet publication, cited Presidential Administration Deputy Chief of Information and Public Relations Andriy Chyrva as denying the report. Later that day, the BBC Ukrainian Service cited Permanent Presidential Representative in Verkhovna Rada Roman Bezsmertny as confirming the minister’s ouster and that the order to this effect will be published in the official press in the nearest future, coming into force upon publication. Verkhovna Rada Budget Committee Chairman Oleksandr Turchynov and Committee on Combating Organized Crime and Corruption Chairman Yuri Karmazin are also convinced that the nation’s top law enforcement official has been fired and that Yuri Smirnov has been chosen as a replacement, reports Interfax- Ukraine. Mr. Karmazin also stated that Presidential Administration Director Volodymyr Lytvyn is also to be replaced, but this has not received any official confirmation. Bezsmertny denounced Karmazin’s statement as disinformation. Former Deputy Director of the Presidential Administration’s Center for Analysis Viktor Nebozhenko considers that discharging Kravchenko could be an important step but warns against interpreting it as a victory for the opposition, reports Deutsche Welle. According to this political scientist, even if the rumors are confirmed this will still not mean that Kravchenko has lost political influence and will cease to participate in making important state decisions.
