It is not the first time the premier wants to summon oblast governors to cabinet meetings without notifying the secretariat first, Bezsmertny stressed.

The secretariat has repeatedly indicated to the cabinet that trips by governors from their oblasts must be agreed with the president who issued the appropriate decree on Feb. 11, 2008. This time the governors were also summoned without a go-ahead from the incumbent, the official said.

The secretariat learned about the summons from media reports, Bezsmertny complained, as there was no letter from the cabinet specifying the purpose of the governors’ visit.

“I have the impression that such a move indicates the loss of memory by the cabinet. This strange loss of memory may be behind the cabinet plans to shift responsibility for growing inflation to local administrations,” the official warned.

“It is not the first time the cabinet says inflation in the regions is not part of general and objective economic factors afflicting Ukraine. It is likely to expect, therefore, that the cabinet will try to present the governors as scapegoats at its next session for the cabinet failure to bring inflation under control,” he said. He also added that trying to summon governors to Kyiv without Yushchenko’s consent is an example of cabinet’s indiscreet behavior in its relations with the head of the state.