“At the meeting of the coordination council on November 18, the legislators were informed that the probability of the dismissal of the head of the president’s office is 90%,” the news website NV.ua quoted its parliamentary source as saying. “Jermak could end his post on November 20,” added the server.
“In the parliament, it is now easier to count those who do not demand his dismissal,” said another parliamentary source of the Ukrainska pravda website. The server added that Jermak’s resignation is also demanded by numerous deputies of the Zelenské Servant of the People party. If Zelenskyj does not react forcefully, his deputies may switch to other parties and he will thus lose his parliamentary majority, the server wrote.
Opposition deputy Oleksij Hončareko also confirmed that the parliament will discuss Jermak’s dismissal on Thursday. However, only Zelensky has the power to dismiss the head of the presidential office.
For now, however, Jermak remains by the side of the Ukrainian president – on Wednesday he announced that Zelensky’s team had arrived in Turkey, where Ukrainian representatives are to discuss a new peace plan with the Americans.
The national anti-corruption office NABU said last week that the Ukrainian authorities have charged seven people in connection with the corruption scandal in the energy sector. According to him, the group obtained 100 million dollars (roughly two billion crowns) in bribes.
“Ali Baba”
The scandal concerns Enerhoatom, the operator of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Two suspects, including Zelensky’s former close associate Tymur Mindič, fled abroad. Nothing has yet been proven against Jermak, however, opposition MPs claim that Jermak appears under the code name “Ali Baba” on recordings related to the case.
Jermak’s reputation as an all-powerful man may ultimately be what breaks his neck. “Andrij Jermak is so influential and is so deeply familiar with so many problems in the country that it is simply impossible for such an extensive corruption system to work without his detailed knowledge,” Daria Kalenjukova, head of the Ukrainian non-governmental Center for Combating Corruption, told the Kyiv Independent website.
“In order for the president to prove that he is not part of this scheme and is not corrupt, he must get rid of all these corrupt friends from his close circle. It’s that simple,” she added.
