Kernes advised new governor to “take off the crown”. He responded

A conflict is brewing between the new head of Kharkiv Region and the mayor of Kharkiv.

Kharkiv Mayor Gennadiy Kernes criticised the organisation of Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Kharkiv and advised new regional governor Oleksiy Kucher to “stand in front of the mirror, take off the crown of the region's ruler and think about what useful he can do in the post of head of the regional state administration for the region”. The corresponding post appeared on the mayor's Facebook page.

In particular, Kernes was dissatisfied with the selection of people invited to the meeting with Zelensky. In his view, people who “know how to latch onto any authority” and are involved in logging in the region were invited to meet the president. Gennadiy Kernes himself was not invited to the meeting with the president.

Gennadiy Kernes,
Mayor of Kharkiv

At the Kharkiv Aviation Plant, the President held a meeting on the work of Ukroboronprom, during which he presented the new head of the region. At this presentation, the hall had no Kharkiv mayor, no heads of state district administrations and district administrations of Kharkiv, and heads of educational institutions were absent, despite our city being the student capital of the country. Nor were there deputies of the regional council, with whom the head of the region will have to work. Yet the hall, designed for 250 seats, was packed with people who love and know how to latch onto any authority. People who cut down the forest before the President's first visit to Kharkiv and continue to do so to this day. Such a composition of attendees is not surprising, since the organisation of this meeting was handled by the former regional governor.
I am not angling for meetings with the President, but I believe that such a composition of the meeting and the presentation of the new governor does not fit the logic the President preaches in terms of decentralisation and Kharkiv's significance as Ukraine's second city.

The mayor of the city also did not pass by the personality of the new regional governor Oleksiy Kucher, presented by the president. The mayor did not like Kucher's words that Kharkiv is a “separate state”. Kernes advised Kucher to “first sort out the situation, and only then set the emphasis”.

Gennadiy Kernes,
Mayor of Kharkiv

Regarding the new governor. I was surprised to hear his words that “Kharkiv is a separate state”. I want to remind the newly presented head of the region: Kharkiv is an integral part of Ukraine. With this in mind, I suggest the newly minted governor stand in front of the mirror, take off the crown of ruler of the failed “separate state” from his head and think about what useful he can do in the post of head of the regional state administration for the region.
I wish the new head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration to begin by sorting out what is really happening in the region, and only then to draw conclusions and set the emphasis.

The new head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration Oleksiy Kucher responded to Kernes on his Facebook page.

Oleksiy Kucher,
Head of Kharkiv Regional State Administration

As far as I know, only a couple of people in Kharkiv Region have worn the crown as a symbol of power. One has already had it taken off.

Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky presented the new head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration — it became Oleksiy Kucher. His predecessor as governor of Kharkiv Region was Yulia Svetlychna. Oleksiy Kucher is a deputy from the Servant of the People party; he won in constituency No. 179 in Kharkiv Region.

Introducing Kucher, Zelensky thanked Yulia Svetlychna for her work and  asked her not to disappear from view. It is worth noting that Svetlychna submitted an electronic declaration as a candidate for deputy head of the National Security and Defence Council.

Volodymyr Zelensky
President of Ukraine

I am grateful for your powerful work. If possible, don't go anywhere. We will find you anyway. I mean, don't go anywhere, keep helping. You're in our halo, let's say. We want you to help for as long as possible and, most importantly, in Kharkiv Region for Mr. Oleksiy Kucher.

Yulia Svetlychna is described as a person close to Ihor Raynin (former head of the Presidential Administration and regional governor under President Poroshenko), as well as Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. The choice of a new governor candidate was not easy; initially the president allowed that he would leave Svetlychna in her old post. Later the Presidential Office settled on Oleksiy Kucher's candidacy, but it was not immediately approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Kucher himself hinted at behind-the-scenes confrontations. On 19 October, after the government removed the question of approving his candidacy from the agenda, he posted that his life is now going through a stage of “maximum concentration of meanness, greed, envy and sycophancy”. Political analysts believe that by appointing Kucher head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Bankova is betting in the region on Arsen Avakov, not Kernes.