Founder of foundation "Come Back Alive" Deynega was offered post of Deputy Defense Minister: "I will accept when I am convinced that changes are possible"
Vitaliy Deynega, founder of the "Come Back Alive" charity foundation, said that he may be appointed Deputy Defense Minister for Digital Transformation.
He wrote about this on his page in Facebook, reports Censor.NЕТ.
"I am now very close to being appointed Deputy Minister of Defense for Digital Transformation. ... In fact, this is not the first offer I've received during a full-scale war, and in principle. I've even lost count of how many there have been since 2014. There were also offers at a higher level. And even for the same position," he said.
"To avoid manipulations. This proposal is older than the egg scandal. It only accelerated the appointment by a couple of weeks. They are not connected in any other way. Moreover, I will say that I have already refused it once," he added.
"My journalistic work allowed me to see the war from new angles and make sure that with such a disproportion of resources with the enemy, our only advantage can be technical and motivation. The General Staff is responsible for motivation. But the Ministry can take care of the technical side. And my two higher education degrees (IT and MBA) will come in handy here. I have always forbidden my new subordinates to start making categorical statements with an expert expression on the third day at work. That's why I don't plan to do it myself. I'm not going to give interviews or appear on TV for the first 100 days of my job. There is a lot of work ahead. And in the column "experience in public service" I proudly have 0 days. I always have my managerial and technical education with me, but civil service is a new profession. And I don't want to make statements that I'll be ashamed of later... I realize that I'm putting my hard-earned name on the line now, and that people who recently praised me will soon start hating me in comments and beyond. For some reason, I expect the most "congratulations" from the public and journalistic sectors, to which I still belong. I really want to be wrong about this, but life will show.
The problem is that in times of war, the Armed Forces become sacred (and rightly so), and the army is not criticized (even for its actions). And I support this. But someone has to be a scapegoat for people's anger. Historically, it has been the Ministry of Defense as a civilian body that can be blamed. This is normal, though not always constructive. For these reasons, when I headed a well-known foundation, I avoided public confrontation with the Ministry as much as possible, realizing that I would do more harm than good to the common cause if I did. Even in those moments when I am right. Since I am going to make my decisions based on what is best for the Armed Forces, not on public opinion or a coterie of vested interests that exist in almost every unit of most ministries, I expect possible attacks on me from the very beginning of my term," Deynega emphasized.
He went on to describe the episodes in his biography that could be used as a reason to criticize him.
"So that there are no doubts about me now, I promise to take a polygraph every year and voluntarily with the subsequent publication of its results. I will be tested on the topic of whether I am not involved in corruption and whether I am building a "candle factory" for myself. I also warn at the entrance that anyone who offers me a bribe or hints at something like that risks being exposed and punished, regardless of their current status and reputation. I may fall victim to some very cunning scheme due to my lack of bureaucratic experience, but I promise you publicly that I will do everything to avoid it and will definitely not be its initiator or beneficiary, as I was not in the Foundation. And I will confirm this on a polygraph and in my declaration," Deynega said.
"But if I do take the post, this is what will happen next.
There will be carte blanche from the Minister - permission to make decisions that I consider correct within my sphere of authority. There will be strict prioritization and purging of personnel for whom the IT sector of the MoD could become a sphere of their interests or an opportunity to avoid going to the military enlistment office, or to serve in the army only on paper, without bringing real benefit. I will not try to be liked. I will recruit a proactive team and do what is best for the Armed Forces. Believe me, not everyone will like it. And some of those who may start fighting with me now have a reputation for honesty and integrity.
All future subordinates can count on me to be honest and straightforward, which is what I build all my relationships on. Anyone who has interests, likes to build intrigues, wants to "solve" with me, is just doing a number or will try to fight with me will be replaced as better ones are found and will go to the labor market (if they are civilians) or look for a better place to serve in the military.
However, those who see their run for power as an act of service and an opportunity to help the country in the most effective way and whose competencies will be needed need not worry.
... I do not plan to stay in this position for more than two years and will try my best to leave earlier, but leaving behind a good and functioning organism without me. An organism that works only in national interests and for which I am not ashamed.
... For all those who are already starting to write to me, just in case, I will remind you of what I often said 10 years ago: I do not take payoffs, I am ready to talk about everything else.
Now the last thing. Over the next two days, I have meetings and calls with key partners in the government, the Armed Forces, and some potential critics. Only after I am convinced that changes are possible and have the support of the people, my personal decision will be final," Deynega summarized.
