In Odessa, an official was unable to present a program for veterans: City Hall gave him two weeks

The appointment of a new official in charge of veterans’ policy in Odessa has sparked debate. Representatives of the veterans’ community demanded explanations regarding his experience and work plans, while city officials called for the newly appointed official to be given time to prepare his program.

During a meeting of the Odessa City Council’s executive committee, a public debate arose between a representative of the veterans’ community and the newly appointed deputy mayor responsible for veterans’ policy, Andriy Makovetskyi, regarding his work, experience, and vision for the development of veterans’ affairs.

One of the veterans asked what specific results the official could cite from his work with veterans over the past year and why he, in particular, had been appointed to lead this area. He also asked whether the official had his own plan for developing veterans’ policy at the time of his appointment.

In response, the official reported that three working meetings had already taken place—two with veterans’ organizations and one with representatives of adaptive sports. According to him, work is currently underway on a future program that takes into account the needs of the veterans’ community.

However, when asked to clarify whether a finalized program was available, he confirmed that the document was still under development. Following this, an opponent claimed that the official had taken office without a prepared action plan and also noted that he had not heard any examples of completed projects or statistics regarding assistance to veterans.

Makovetsky replied that questions regarding his appointment should be directed to city leadership. At the same time, he emphasized that his performance should be evaluated by the organizations and departments he has assisted, rather than by himself.

After the discussion concluded, Acting Mayor Ihor Koval stated that Makovetskyi’s candidacy had been preliminarily discussed prior to his appointment. According to him, the new official needs time to fully familiarize himself with the specifics of the city council’s work and the veterans’ affairs portfolio.

The city leader announced that in approximately 10–14 days, Makovetskyi is expected to present a detailed program for the development of veterans’ policy and other areas of his work. First and foremost, they plan to discuss it with veterans during “Coffee with Veterans” meetings, sessions of the Veterans’ Council, and other consultations.

In May, during a session of the Odesa City Council, a conflict arose between veterans, labor union representatives, and council members over the inclusion of a representative of the veterans’ community on the executive committee. 

Анна Бальчінос