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Rada prepares to consider resignation of two ministers, appointment of three

LB.ua's sources say the appointments could take place in two weeks. 

Rada prepares to consider resignation of two ministers, appointment of three
Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov
Photo: Anna Steshenko

At today's meeting, the Verkhovna Rada is to consider the dismissal of two government officials - Minister of Agrarian Policy Mykola Solskyy, who is a suspect in the land theft case, and Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, whose Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure is to be split into two different ministries.

MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said that personnel decisions were being prepared, and this was also confirmed by LB.ua's sources in parliament. According to Zheleznyak, Solskyy's resignation is to be considered by the relevant committee in the morning, and then by the full parliament.

Regarding Kubrakov, Zheleznyak said that ministers usually write a letter of resignation themselves, but in this case, the dismissal will be carried out through a resolution for which signatures were collected from MPs.

"That is, it will be like an initiative of MPs to demote the minister," he said.

A draft resolution to dismiss Kubrakov has already been registered in the Rada. His dismissal will be considered by the committee in the morning, and then voted on in the parliament. 

According to Zheleznyak, the coalition is to meet next and submit a proposal to the Prime Minister on three ministers: agriculture, infrastructure and regions. Then the committees will meet again and there will be another vote in the parliament.

"It is not a fact that all three will be appointed today," he said.

LB's sources confirmed the information about the planned personnel changes. 

"At 9:15, there will be another faction with Mykola Solskyy. Although the faction is against (resignations). Today, in the morning, Mykola will urge to support his resignation," the MP said. 

Another MP added that a resolution to dismiss Kubrakov "has also been submitted". 

At the same time, the Servant party predicts that appointments will be made in two weeks. 

"We haven't decided yet on who will head the Ministry of Regional Development. Everyone wants someone, but they don't want to head it themselves," the source said. 

Interlocutors in the faction said that MP Vitaliy Bezgin and Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Oleksiy Kuleba are among the candidates for the head of the Ministry. 

"However, Bezgin is against it. And Kuleba is not eager either," the MP said.

Kubrakov’s and Solskyy’s dismissal 

Mykola Solskyy wrote a letter of resignation after being served with a suspicion of embezzlement of state land worth UAH 291 million and an attempt to seize land worth another UAH 190 million. He does not admit guilt. The charges relate to the period when Solskyy was not a minister. After the minister was released on bail, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy announced that he would continue to work.

Yesterday, Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said that the Servant of the People faction failed to make a decision on the dismissal of Minister of Agrarian Policy Mykola Solskyy. Therefore, this issue is not on the agenda of the parliamentary session. 

Oleksandr Kubrakov, who may be "demoted", almost faced dismissal before his ministry was split. 

On 19 April, LB.ua's sources confirmed that the Rada could dismiss Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Iryna Vereshchuk, Justice Minister Denys Malyuska, Minister of Agrarian Policy Mykola Solskyy, and a member of the Accounting Chamber. The dismissal of Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin is also in question. However, on 22 April, the interlocutors said that at a meeting of the small faction of the SP, they failed to make a decision on government officials. 

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