Resignations in the Government: Verkhovna Rada Committees Support Important Personnel Changes
The Verkhovna Rada Defence Committee has approved a decision to dismiss Denys Shmyhal from the post of Minister of Defence of Ukraine. This became known thanks to information provided by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak via his Telegram channel.
According to the voting conditions, eight members of the committee voted in favour of the resignation, while six voted against it. «The issue was resolved almost unanimously,» Zheleznyak said.
On 9 January, not only Shmyhal's resignation, but also that of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov were submitted to the parliament.
This week, the Rada will also consider other personnel issues, including the appointment of new heads of several ministries. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed that Fedorov be appointed Minister of Defence.
At the same time, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security did not support the initiative to dismiss the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Malyuk. Details of this decision were also announced by Zheleznyak.
According to the results of the vote, seven MPs were in favour of the resignation, six voted against, and two abstained, resulting in no compromise on Malyuk's dismissal. Zheleznyak indicated that this will not prevent further voting on this high-profile issue, although he believes that the necessary support for dismissal will not be found.
Finally, the Committee on Digital Transformation confirmed the resignation of Mykhailo Fedorov as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister. According to Ukrinform, his resignation was also accepted at a meeting chaired by Zheleznyak.
This turning point in the functioning of the Ukrainian government demonstrates the activity of parliamentary committees in making personnel decisions that can significantly affect the future work of government agencies.
Photo by DW Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Shotshop Hajo Obuchoffpicture alliance
Fedorov, Shmyhal, Malyuk, SBU, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine