CEC recognizes Piatyhorets as elected MP from European Solidarity, he officially gives up mandate
Businessman, volunteer and blogger Denys Piatyhorets, who was included at No. 28 on the electoral list of the European Solidarity party in the 2019 parliamentary elections, has given up his parliamentary mandate after the Central Election Commission (CEC) on Tuesday recognized him as elected as an MP on the party list.
"My final decision, which I actually made long ago, but could announce under the law only after I was recognized as a member of parliament, because one cannot give up a mandate in advance, is that I officially declare that I, Denys Piatyhorets, refuse to be a member of parliament of Ukraine. In the near future, I will come to the CEC to submit the relevant statement," Piatyhorets said in a video statement posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday.
He said he had been involved in politics since 1997 and that becoming an MP had been his dream, but that back in 2019 he decided he was "done with politics."
"At this point, since I stopped being interested in and involved in politics, I feel so out of place in this story, and I understand so little of what is happening there now, that I am convinced my time passed long ago," Piatyhorets said.
He believes that in the current situation one should do "what one likes, what one is good at, rather than take up some dream that was once relevant and for which one has to abandon everything – abandon the team one is working with today, all the initiatives one has started and on which other people also depend."
"For what? To satisfy my own ego? That is definitely not my story. Besides, the war began, and since the very beginning of the war… we have raised almost $1 million to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As a businessperson and someone who runs social media and organizes fundraisers, I have, and will continue to have, far more opportunities to help the Armed Forces than I would have as an MP, restricted by NABU, the NACP and all those limitations they have regarding the use of personal funds and personal earnings. Because I have never known how to steal money and probably will not be able to now – I am already too old to learn – and taking bribes for votes is also not my thing," Piatyhorets said.
He wished success to his colleagues from European Solidarity, "to all those who will pass and come after me."
"I simply believe that for the country, for Ukraine's victory, here, in the place where I am now, and doing what I am doing now, I can do more than if I become a member of parliament. And today these are times when you are either in the army, or working for the army – otherwise, why does this country need you at all? So forgive me if I have disappointed anyone… See you at the next fundraiser or in the next morning news. Thank you all. Ukraine will win," Piatyhorets said.
As reported, Stepan Kubiv, a member of the Verkhovna Rada of the 7th-9th convocations from 2012 to 2016 and after 2019, a member of the European Solidarity faction, former First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine from 2016 to 2019, and former governor of the National Bank of Ukraine in 2014, died on Monday at the age of 64.
After that, Piatyhorets, who, according to the CEC website, was included at No. 28 on the electoral list of the European Solidarity party and, at the time of the 2019 parliamentary elections, held the post of deputy head of Volyn Regional State Administration, had the opportunity to enter the Verkhovna Rada in place of Kubiv. He is currently a volunteer and blogger and lives in Zaporizhia.
Next on European Solidarity's electoral list, at No. 29, is Andriy Levus, who was a member of the Verkhovna Rada of the 8th convocation from 2014 to 2019, elected from the People’s Front political party. He is not affiliated with any party. Before his parliamentary work, he served as deputy head of the Security Service of Ukraine. He lives in Vyshgorod, Kyiv region.
