Bohdan says Klitschko admitted he does not control Kyiv Council, was forced to compromise with capital's 'overseers'
Chief of the Presidential Office of Ukraine Andriy Bohdan has said he personally asked Vitali Klitschko, who combines two posts – that of Kyiv Mayor and head of Kyiv City State Administration, to give up the institution of "overseers" in the capital. Bohdan said Klitschko acknowledged he was forced to compromise with them because he had no control over the city budget.
"I have had several meetings with Mr. Klitschko here, in the Office of the President. There were two. During these meetings I asked him six times, that is, three times each meeting, to give up the institution of 'overseers' in Kyiv, to drop all these corrupt schemes and be a real popular mayor, a person who does not have any connections to all this corruption and mismanagement that has been happening in Kyiv," Bohdan said at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Bohdan said he is convinced Klitschko has lost control over the situation in Kyiv.
According to Bohdan, Klitschko told him that he has nothing to do with theft and corruption in the capital, although he understands "something wrong is happening," but he cannot do anything about it.
"Klitschko told me that yes, in fact, he does not control the Kyiv council. There are two or three 'supervisors,' who have certain groups of council members. And if he cannot find a compromise with them, then he does not have a majority in the Kyiv council and, consequently, cannot be an effective mayor," Bohdan said.
As reported, the Office of the President of Ukraine appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers with a request to submit a motion to dismiss Klitschko as Kyiv City State Administration head.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said that the Cabinet of Ministers would consider the request at its next meeting.
"This is the authority of the president. I did not interfere with the previous president when he appointed heads of administrations, and I will not interfere with the current president," Groysman said.
In turn, Klitschko called the initiative to divide power in the capital and remove him from the post of head of Kyiv City State Administration as contrary to the law. He said he intends to defend the current order, according to which the elected mayor of the capital is automatically appointed head of the city administration. He stressed that the separation of the posts and the introduction of "dual power" in the capital is unconstitutional. Klitschko also said the practice of electing local authorities is European, and the appointment of someone to these positions contradicts it.
On June 25, 2014, Kyiv Mayor Klitschko was appointed head of Kyiv City State Administration Head by decree of the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko. By another decree, Poroshenko dismissed Volodymyr Bondarenko from that post.