Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko made generous promises to the residents of Kyiv to fulfill 5-year promises within a year and a half

Photo: Reuters

Yesterday Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko presented his Program of the Primary Steps for the Kyiv Mayor. He stated the fight against corruption is one of his main priorities. Based on his statements, the new mayor of Kyiv plans to fulfill a 5-year plan within a year and a half. In particular, there should be rail transport in the Troyeshchyna district, Poshtova Square should be commissioned, a system of traffic control should be introduced and a program of social rent should be implemented. Klitschko assured that his plans can be accomplished on condition of coordinated teamwork. Kyivans were not inspired by these promises.

Plenty of plans

Klitschko announced five priorities of his activities: the fight against corruption, transparent use of the budget, attraction of investments, creation of a safe and comfortable environment for Kyivans and cooperation with the community in decision-making and implementation of the decisions of the mayor’s office. He plans to implement a number of projects in each sphere. Some of these projects were developed long ago and delayed for indefinite terms, for example, Turbota, Potable water or Energy Efficiency Program. Moreover, Klitschko promised to commission Poshtova Square, lay rail transport routes to the Troyeshchyna district and create a system of traffic control in the city. The idea of social rental of housing was quite new. Klitschko’s predecessors usually mentioned free apartments. The mayor intends to fulfill his promises within a year and a half of his term.

“But even the strongest person cannot do this alone. Therefore, we need a team. We have to join efforts,” said Klitschko. However, he could not mention any names of his closest associates who will develop the city by leaps and bounds. “My team consists of 20,000 people, primarily members of the City Council,” said Klitschko trying to avoid a straight answer to Capital’s question. He also could not name those who would take the posts of his deputies and heads of utility companies after the staff cleanup at City Hall.

Kiyvans did not believe

Of those present at the presentation only representatives of bodies of self-organization of the population (BSOP) heard the entire address mostly due to the desire to ask personal questions after the briefing. Only Director of the Department of Land Resources Yuriy Kulakovskiy, the person responsible for Urban Housing Dmytro Novytskiy and Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration Ruslan Kramarenko remained in the hall among all high-ranking officials. Others, including the heads of districts, quietly left in the middle of the presentation.

One of the important topics of interest for Kyivans was the re-establishment of district councils promised prior to the elections.
“This issue is controversial. There are people who say it is necessary and there are those who are convinced that the number of deputies in the Kyiv City Council should be reduced. I voted for the abolition of district councils, because people are elected deputies, come to power and become liars, because they do not have proper funding,” Klitschko explained his standpoint. He added the current government in Kyiv has another 1.5 years “to think the issue over and answer it accurately”.

Creation of the Heavenly Hundred Memorial in the Holosiyivskiy district was not a priority for the mayor. “All this requires money that we do not have. We need to fill the budget,” said the mayor in a conversation with certain resourceful Kyivans. Klitschko said negotiations with the Ministry of Finance are tense. In particular, the government has already denied financing of construction of the Podilsko-Voskresenskiy Bridge.

“He will do nothing. It is just a petty publicity move. We will have what we do with our own hands in our backyards,” one of the leaders of the body of self-organization of the residents of Kyiv summed up the meeting in the corridors.