Mediaboss Marketing

KIEV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko dismissed one of the countrys most powerful oligarchs from a regional governorship Wednesday, after confrontations over interests in the energy sector sparked a public uproar, threatening the countrys fragile political peace.

Ihor Kolomoiskys resignation as governor of the Dnepropetrovsk region, a position he held since shortly after the ouster of former president Viktor Yanukovych last year, seemed to quell fears that tensions would explode over the oligarchs recent moves to protect his interests in two government- controlled energy companies by bringing in armed guards to their headquarters.

The events served as a reminder to Ukraines Western allies of the formidable challenges facing the shaky nation, especially as Kiev turns its attention from fighting a war along the front to tackling corruption at home.

Poroshenkos response seemed clearly aimed at sending the message that those who cross Kiev can expect to be let go.

If Poroshenko didnt resign him, it would mean that any oligarch can take any government assets and bring armed people to the capital, and thats not good for the country, said Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and member of parliament who said Kolomoiskys dismissal was the only way to solve this problem and should be the start of a war against the oligarchs.

Kolomoisky, the co-founder of Ukraines largest commercial bank and one of the countrys richest individuals, was a staunch backer of Kiev and was widely credited for using his vast resources to fend off challenges from pro-Russian rebels fighting the government in the east for nearly a year.

In principle, he doesnt disagree with the idea that Poroshenko needs to show the public he has authority over the government or even, generally speaking, the decision to let him go.

Im his employee, but I acted as an equal to him, Kolomoisky said in an interview, describing his style as too independent to operate in a vertical-power system.

Im not good in that kind of scheme; Im a foreign object in that system, Kolomoisky continued. If I were in his position, I would have kicked myself out in three months, because the person who is a superior cannot be an equal with a person who works for him.

But Kolomoisky vehemently disagreed with how things got to the point of his resignation. He sees himself as a victim of political positioning that began shortly after last falls parliamentary elections, a hunt for publicity after the heat of the war, and a need to appease the masses in advance of coming local elections, slated for the fall.

Read the original post:
Ukraines stability under threat after president fires pro-Kiev tycoon