You're reading: Ukraine’s European Party suggests opposition forces nominate its leader for Kyiv mayor

The political council of the European Party of Ukraine has proposed that the UDAR Party, Batkivschyna Party, and Svoboda All-Ukrainian Association nominate its leader, Mykola Katerynchuk, as a single candidate from the opposition for the post of Kyiv mayor.

“The European Party of Ukraine has experience of participation in the previous election campaign in the capital, on the results of which it formed the Mykola Katerynchuk Bloc deputy faction at Kyiv City Council. We have always been critical of the municipal authorities… Mykola Katerynchuk regularly participated in plenary sittings of Kyiv deputies, made statements and addresses to support Kyiv residents and by all means within his power strived to improve the situation in Kyiv,” reads a posting on the party’s Web site.

“We would like to propose that the abovementioned political forces nominate him as a single candidate from the opposition for the post of Kyiv mayor. We think that experience of Mykola Katerynchuk as a politician at the national level and one of leaders of the opposition movement in the country will help to improve Kyiv residents’ well-being, contribute to the successful development of the capital as one of the biggest European cities, and help to improve Ukraine’s image on the world arena,” reads the statement.

As reported, on June 1, 2012, Leonid Chernovetsky resigned as Kyiv mayor.

Kyiv City Council appointed Secretary of Kyiv City Council Halyna Hereha as acting mayor.

On July 19, 2012, Hereha asked the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, to issue an instruction on holding an early mayoral election.