17 Feb 2016 21:57

Ukraine's sports minister Zhdanov expelled from Batkivshchina party

KYIV. Feb 17 (Interfax) - Ukraine's Youth and Sports Minister Ihor Zhdanov has been expelled from the Batkivshchina party and is no longer empowered to represent it in the government, the party's press service said on Wednesday.

"Ihor Zhdanov has made his choice. This is his decision and the party reacted to it in a logical way," the party said in a statement.

Earlier Batkivshchina said that it is exiting the coalition and therefore recalling Zhdanov from the ministerial post, but he opted not to leave the government.

"The Batkivshchina party has no representative in the government led by Arseniy Yatsenyuk," the party said.