Nadiya Savchenko's party decides to run in Ukrainian parliamentary elections
KYIV. June 5 (Interfax) - The Social and Political Platform party of Nadiya Savchenko has held its congress in front of the building of the Verkhovna Rada and made a decision to run in the snap elections.
According to people's deputy Savchenko's Facebook page, the 12th congress of the Social and Political Platform of Nadiya Savchenko "is open in every respect."
"Today we're here, and on July 21, 2019, we're entering the Verkhovna Rada. We're becoming its full-fledged members, we're becoming the people's deputies. Our political force is occupying its rightful place among those to be represented at the Verkhovna Rada," Savchenko said at the congress, which was broadcast via her Facebook page on Wednesday.
The congress approved the list of the candidates for the Verkhovna Rada members representing the Social and Political Platform of Nadiya Savchenko.
Savchenko said that her sister, Vira Savchenko, will be the head of the party's electoral headquarters at the current stage, and Tetiana Protorchenko will be its spokesperson. Savchenko herself will remain leader.
She additonally listed about ten names from her party's electoral list and those who will run for the parliament in single-member districts.
Savchenko, a Ukrainian MP and former Russian prisoner, and former head of the Officer Corps center for liberation of prisoners of war Volodymyr Ruban were released from custody in the Brovary District Court in the Kyiv region after the period of their arrest expired at midnight on April 16, 2019 and the court refused to extend it.
Savchenko had been in custody since March 23, 2018, having been suspected by authorities of activities aimed at violent change or overthrow of the constitutional system or government takeover, attempt on the life of a public official or civil society activist, setting up a terrorist group or terrorist organization, and illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives,.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yury Lutsenko said that the Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office insists that there is sufficient proof that Savchenko and Ruban had committed crimes and that their release does not mean charges against them were lifted.