Secretariat Chief of Staff Viktor Baloha said on Thursday
Ukraine’s political forces “must pass a test on their ability to compromise and
coexist.”
“I am convinced that understanding will prevail. They impose
confrontation but we offer competition and compromise, for compromise is a
weapon of strong people. Instead of one C for conflict, we offer three
C’s for competition, compromise and consolidation. This is a formula of
success for 2007,” he said at a press conference, press office of the president reported.
Baloha said the year 2006 had shown that it was impossible
for one political force to monopolize power in the country. Summing up political
results of the year, he said the major event was the March 26 election and its
consequences. He said the vote had been conducted democratically and
transparently for the first time in our history.
“However, the changed Constitution impeded the transformation
of the political system. Following the election, there was a power struggle when
a governing coalition was being formed and later, when a war of powers broke
out,” he said, adding that the first lesson to learn was that “constitutional
reform is still raw and cannot be abandoned halfway, as it will be bad for the
political system and the country.”
“The Constitution needs further improvements to construct an
effective parliamentary-presidential state. So the year 2007 should be a year to
improve constitutional reform,” he said.
Speaking about the constitutional role of the President, the
Chief of Staff said the President “leads the country no matter who leads the
government.”
“There is only one head of state in Ukraine, the President. All
the branches of power have to serve the people. The President has been given a
direct mandate from the people and is responsible for the voters and our
history. He is the guarantor of the Constitution and stability. He will continue
to reinforce his hierarchy and determine the country’s staff policy. He will do
what he is entitled to do by the Constitution,” he said.
“The President will insist that the government be consistent,
pragmatic and professional,” he said.
