Poroshenko with children during his visit to Odessa on Thursday. The posters read ‘Ukraine, Peace, Odessa!’
AFP/Odessa
Corruption is “paralysing” Ukraine’s economy, President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday on a pre-election visit to the country’s most important sea port.
Poroshenko, who has made his anti-corruption drive a cornerstone of his Petro Poroshenko Bloc’s campaign ahead of tomorrow’s legislative ballot, gave high ranking law enforcement officials a severe dressing down at a meeting in Odessa’s industrial harbour.
The president referred to “the problem that is paralysing the economy of Ukraine – the problem of contraband, the problem of corruption”.
“If you’re looking for where to find violations of the customs laws, Mr Policeman, Mr Customs Officer, Mr Prosecutor, Mr Head of the SBU (security agency), then do what I did this morning,” he said, recounting that his aides had visited a major market in the region and found that “not one” cargo of goods for sale had been properly cleared through customs.
Earlier this month, parliament passed sweeping anti-corruption laws that Poroshenko hopes will help Ukraine reduce shocking levels of bribery, kickbacks, smuggling, and other crimes that flourished under his predecessor Viktor Yanukovych, who was ousted during huge street protests in February.
The importance of bringing the rule of law to Ukraine is seen as on a par with the bloody fight against pro-Russian insurgents in the east of the country if the ex-Soviet republic is ever going to achieve its dream of closer integration with Western institutions and, eventually, EU membership.
After his angry appearance at the meeting with law enforcement officials in the Black Sea city, Poroshenko told journalists that he was still hopeful Ukraine could prevent the conflict in the east from turning into the kind of permanent stalemate that has hamstrung other countries, for example like Georgia, with pro-Russian rebellions.
“This will not be a frozen conflict, because the Donbass cannot survive without Ukraine,” Poroshenko said, referring to the eastern industrial region that encompasses the rebel held regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
