Poroshenko explains his choice of prosecutor

President Poroshenko called changes to the law connected with the appointment of Yuriy Lutsenko as Prosecutor General of Ukraine necessary "innovations" to increase public confidence in the office. Poroshenko called the reactions of certain members of the public unhappy with the appointment of Yuriy Lutsenko as Prosecutor General of Ukraine and with changes to the law that made his appointment possible quite normal. He made his comments when introducing Lutsenko to the employees of the prosecutor general's office, reports LIGA.net, May 13. "I know that many are not happy with my appointment nor with the innovations that the legislators introduced yesterday. Certainly this reaction is natural, since what is new and unknown always causes concern if not fear," he said. Poroshenko called changes to the law [requiring a legal degree -- Ed.] that enabled the appointment of Lutsenko necessary "innovations" designed to increase public trust in the prosecutor's office. "I am confident that we should view these innovations as an absolutely necessary step to improve public trust, the trust of the Ukrainian people in the prosecutor's office and its staff. And this is impossible to do without opening up the prosecutor's office to people from outside the system, which absolutely will increase the internal professional competition and the quality of the work done by the prosecutor's office," he said. Poroshenko also explained that the work of the prosecutor's office will be evaluated on its execution of the demands of the Revolution of Dignity.

"Some think that he wants positions, others believe that the president or somebody else should give the new prosecutor general a detailed plan. And then the quality of the work of the new prosecutor general and that of his office will be judged on how he carries it out. But I absolutely disagree. This is not the case. The public wants and is entitled to see justice two years after the Revolution of Dignity. This is the main task that I would ask the new prosecutor general to keep in mind, and this is the task that should guide each employee of the prosecutor's office," Poroshenko concluded. On May 12, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law on amendments to several laws regarding the activities of the Prosecutor General's office. With this document the parliament changed the requirements for candidates for the post of prosecutor general and resolved issues pertaining to convictions in absentia. President Petro Poroshenko signed the law and invited the Verhovna Rada to consider a draft resolution on the appointment of Yuriy Lutsenko as prosecutor general. Then the relevant committee recommended that the MPs approve it. On May 12, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Yuriy Lutsenko, head of the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko parliamentary faction, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. The resolution was approved by 264 deputies.

Related:

• A new General Prosecutor for Poroshenko
• How Ukraine's old guard killed the prosecution reform
• Old faces in courts endanger all Ukrainian reforms | #UAreforms
• Deputy Prosecutor General resigns over "lawlessness," spurs power reload
• Ukraine's judicial reform: plus ca change | #UAreforms