Page 37 - bne_March2019_20190306 magazine

bne March 2019 Eastern Europe I 37
Kyiv court reinstates reformist health minister as international pressure is brought to bear
READ MORE ABOUT
EASTERN EUROPE
Ukrainian regional council head named suspect in Handziuk acid attack murder
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine named Vladyslav Manher, the head of the Kherson Region- al Council, a suspect in the acid attack and murder of local civic activist Kateryna Handziuk on Feb- ruary 11. The two criminal charges involve acting as the organiser of a crime and premeditated murder. Manher organised the killing, hired the five perpetrators and provided the funds, the prosecutor general’s report said, according to the pravda.com.ua news site. →
Russian government goes full circle on allowing kiosks to sell goods
In the first years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, ki- osks sprouted up in cities across Russia like mushrooms after the rain. With most of the big Soviet stores bankrupt the kiosk be- came the main conduit of retail, stocked by the “suitcase traders”, individuals that flew abroad
and filled their suitcase with hard-to-find products in Russia that they sold through a kiosk. →
bne IntelliNews
The Kyiv district court that decided to temporarily remove Ulana Suprun as acting health minister ruled on February 14 to overturn its decision and reinstate her.
The US born Suprun has been champi- oning reforms to the sector, as bne Intel- liNews detailed in an exclusive interview “Gloves off for Ukraine's health minister as long-awaited reforms begin.”
Suprun has been actively closing down corrupt scams, which brought her into conflict with the establishment. Follow- ing objections from Rada deputies, a court ruled she was ineligible to serve as minister due to her dual US, Ukrainian citizenship.
The court decision provoked a backlash by Ukraine’s international friends who
of the ministry’s work,” the text of the order said. “This exceptional step by the cabinet of ministers is a response
to the work of the health ministry being blocked by the ruling of the Kyiv district administrative court.”
The cabinet’s order enables Suprun to approve further distributions of vaccines and medicine, dispatching 44 Ukraini- ans for treatment abroad, continuing the process of building a central children’s hospital in Kyiv, buying medical equip- ment, and other decisions that need immediate approval, pravda.com.ua reported, citing the health ministry.
The necessary documents will be signed in the nearest future.
“Suprun was able to return to her post because of the support of the cabi- net, which itself admitted that it took
“Suprun has been actively closing down corrupt scams, which brought her into conflict with the establishment”
heavily criticised the decision to suspend one of the few high officials left in the establishment that are actively fighting corruption.
The judge said his reversal was based on a February 13 order by the cabinet of ministers, the pravda.com.ua news site reported. “This order is a consolidated decision by the government that allows for unblocking the most critical issues
an unusual step in order to allow for important work to be completed. It’s also unusual for a court to reverse its own ruling so quickly. So we expect Suprun will be the target of more attempts to remove her. Suprun and her policies
will also remain a central political issue through the October parliamentary elec- tions, with pro-Western parties defend- ing her,” Zenon Zawada of Concorde Capital said in a note.
www.bne.eu