Acting First Deputy Prime Minister Krill Serbin will head the selection committee for Polasciana’s new permanent Commander General, the Prime Minister’s office has announced. Serbin, who has been Defence Minister in Asta Dahn’s government since 2018 will be in charge of creating and overseeing the committee which will have a remit to offer a recommendation to the president in appointing the country’s next top military official. The last office holder, Commander General Yuri Schechan, stepped down from his post after 16 years in the job last April, and was succeeded by his deputy, Taras Kholodov, on an interim basis. General Kholodov is still thought to the front runner to be appointed to the role. A decision is due ‘soon’ according to an official spokesperson, although it is still thought to be a matter of weeks before the committee is formally appointed.
Mr Serbin is expected to convene a number of military advisors as well as a nominee of President Tattar in forming the committee. “He will want to find people who have a deep understanding of the role, what temperament is required by its holder and be aware of the political wrangling that is required to secure a successful appointment” warned Vadym Butenko, a professor in defence and international relations from the Preaisk State University in Baerson. “This is the first appointment of a Commander General post-unification. A lot has changed since 2003, and the military continues to face duties in the Long Sea and an increasing ITO presence in the region. The new Commander General will need to navigate these scenarios very carefully – and they will need to be prepared to steer between two volatile political figures. The President and Prime Minister don’t see eye to eye on some defence issues and it will be their role to guide them to a consensus.”
Some have suggested that the President has a preference for a ‘new face’ and somebody untied to the military establishment created under Commander Schechan. Indeed, General Schechan’s time in post has been seen as controversial by many and his outlandish and brash style saw the military clash with politicians at both home and abroad. A top priority for Mr Serbin, according to reports from the government, is someone capable of “taking the reigns” and playing an ‘active role’ in the military’s deployment in the Long Sea. “It is crucial that the committee recognise the country’s current role in the Lier conflict and the careful line being tread between being a stable partner of the ITO alliance and facilitating global dialogue. The Acting Deputy Prime Minister will need to balance all of these requirements and appoint someone capable of delivering from day one” said one source.
It was revealed last week that General Schechan suffered a third heart attack just days before standing down last year – a factor likely to play on the minds of the committee. It is thought their brief will include understanding the full medical history of the successful candidate, and are wanting to appoint a ‘youthful’ candidate who will be able to complete at least two terms in office, meaning they would serve until at least 2040.
