KIEV, February 9 (RIA Novosti) – The Our Ukraine party’s political council confirmed on Saturday that Ukraine’s ex-president Viktor Yushchenko will remain the party's chairman.
The statement came hours after the head of the party’s political council, Serhiy Bondarchuk, cited the decision of the Our Ukraine party’s Kiev branch which states that Yushchenko was expelled from the party.
In response to Bondarchuk’s statement, the Our Ukraine press service said the party’s political council decided to fire Bondarchuk and suspend the activities of the Kiev city organization of the Our Ukraine party.
“The party members of the Kiev city organization will take the news as nonsense as the party cannot be imagined without Viktor Yushchenko,” the press service said in a statement.
In his statement, Bondarchuk blamed Yushchenko for ordering to replace members of local election committees, who were representatives of the Ukrainian People's Party and Nasha Ukraina (Our Ukraine) party, by the representatives of the Party of Regions.
Bondarchuk also said Yushchenko did not comply with his commitment to pay the party’s $10 million debts. “By doing so, Viktor Yushchenko betrayed the program statements of the Our Ukraine party."
Ukrainian media earlier reported that former president Yushchenko was planning to set up a new party and could resign from the Our Ukraine party soon.
Yushchenko-led Our Ukraine party won just 1.11 percent during the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary elections.
Updated at 22.34
