Symonenko: Sportsmen, celebrities shouldn't undergo political manipulation during elections

Sportsmen and famous people should not be subject to political manipulation during elections, leader of the Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU) Petro Symonenko has said.

In an interview with the Vinnychyna Channel in Vinnytsia, he said that sportsmen, writers and musicians are professionals in their fields, and today "they are being used to distract people's attention from the real problems," according to the press service of the CPU.

"I have no objections to the fact that they are running for parliament. But how can we speak about a sportsman in politics, while sport in Ukraine is a business, and not a national health program? The recent Olympics proved this," the politician said.

Symonenko added that most of famous people don't realize that their professional success is used for political purposes.

"With due respect to these people, I would like to call on them not to allow their fame and achievements to be used for political ends," he said.