Yushchenko wages informational war against government – Turchynov

Top Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksander Turchynov believes that President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko, by accusing the government of insufficient financing of flood consequences liquidation in the western regions of Ukraine, is waging an informational war against the government.

According to an UNIAN correspondent, O.Turchynov claimed this to a press conference in the Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday.

“Everything that depends on the Cabinet of Ministers, up to kopecks, will be distributed in line with the plan, and, despite of that, we’ve seen that the informational war against the Cabinet of Ministers continues. Those are nothing but attempts to cover their own poorly thought-out staff and administrative policy with lies and compromising the government”, O.Turchynov said.

The Top Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the government transferred subventions at 2.320 billion hryvnias to local administrations of the suffered regions as early as a month ago. Besides, according to him, additional 145 million hryvnias were allocated from the reserve fund at the Cabinet of Ministers to finance liquidation of the flood consequences. At the same time, O.Turchynov stressed, local administrations have not drawn as yet nearly 600 million hryvnias out of the total transferred means.

“At the same time, local administrations heads have turned to the Cabinet of Ministers with demand to allocate additional 331 million hryvnias. And despite of that 600 million hryvnias have not been drawn, the government transferred Monday another 331 million hryvnias as well. Thus, as of today, more than 900 million hryvnias have accumulated at the accounts of the local administration”, O.Turchynov claimed.

According to the Deputy PM, the Main Control-Revision Department discovered that 80 million hryvnias have already been embezzled.

O.Turchynov pointed out that governors did not take part in sessions of the central headquarters for liquidation of flood consequences. “I informed the Presidential Secretariat about that, and asked to restore discipline and punish the governors who fail to fulfill their duties, and, moreover, violate the executive discipline. Unfortunately, in response, I received a letter from Mr.Baloha [President’s Chief of Staff], who informed that they do not see any grounds to increase responsibility of governors and rebuke them or punish in any other way”, he stressed.

O.Turchynov once again addressed Yushchenko with request to organize work of local governors who are subject to the President of Ukraine in line with the current legislation.

As UNIAN reported earlier, President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko paid visit to western regions to take a look at reconstruction works going on there after the summer floods. Speaking to journalists there President Yushchenko criticized financing of the reconstruction.

According to him, in particular, the government failed to finance 124 million hryvnias of compensations to those who lost their homes in the disaster. Therefore he requested the Cabinet to pay off these compensations in next two days.  President Yushchenko also added that same hard situation remains with financing of reconstruction of strategic facilities such as dams, bridges and automobile roads. With regard to the fact he requested the government to provide 350 million hryvnias needed for payment for these works in a week term.