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Ukraine boxer Vitali Klitschko to seek presidency Ukraine boxer Vitali Klitschko to seek presidency
(about 1 hour later)
Ukrainian former world heavyweight boxing champ, Vitali Klitschko, has confirmed he will run in the country's 2015 presidential election. The Ukrainian WBC heavyweight boxing champion, Vitali Klitschko, has confirmed he will run in the country's 2015 presidential election.
He made his announcement in response to a bill passed in parliament that bars candidates who have lived outside Ukraine during the past 10 years.He made his announcement in response to a bill passed in parliament that bars candidates who have lived outside Ukraine during the past 10 years.
Mr Klitschko - an MP in a pro-Western party - has lived in Germany The pro-Western Udar party MP has permanent resident status in Germany.
"Everything that has taken place in parliament today... does not intimidate me and will not stop me," he said."Everything that has taken place in parliament today... does not intimidate me and will not stop me," he said.
"To head off these various schemes and attempts at getting even with me as a possible candidate, I want to declare this: I will run for president.""To head off these various schemes and attempts at getting even with me as a possible candidate, I want to declare this: I will run for president."
The move makes him the first declared contender against the incumbent president, Viktor Yanukovich, who is widely expected to seek a second term. Mr Klitschko is the first declared contender against the incumbent, Viktor Yanukovych. He has actively campaigned against what he calls the president's "authoritarian policies".
Mr Klitschko has criticised President Yanukovich as authoritarian. The bill adopted on Wednesday amended Ukraine's current tax code. It now states that if a Ukrainian national holds permanent resident status in another country they cannot be considered a resident of Ukraine. Previously, they only had to live in Ukraine for at least 180 days a year.
The 42-year-old heads a party called Udar, which translates as 'Punch', but actually stands for Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms. According to the constitution, a presidential candidate must have been resident in Ukraine for 10 years prior to polling day.
It came third in last year's parliamentary elections. Mr Klitschko said the amendment clearly had a "political context", something denied by a member of Mr Yanukovych's Party of Regions.
'European standards'
The 42-year-old boxer heads the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms (Udar), whose acronym means "Punch". It came third in last year's parliamentary elections.
"My main goal is for Ukraine to be a European, modern country with European standards of life," Mr Klitschko told the BBC in August."My main goal is for Ukraine to be a European, modern country with European standards of life," Mr Klitschko told the BBC in August.
"I will decide with people who have the same vision, the same dream, to go into politics and from the inside to change the situation.""I will decide with people who have the same vision, the same dream, to go into politics and from the inside to change the situation."
He has spoken out against corruption in the country and the jailing of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko for abuse of office - a charge that her supporters claim was politically motivated. He has spoken out against corruption in the country and the jailing of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko for abuse of office - a charge that her supporters claim was politically motivated.
"We can't be a democratic country with political prisoners," he said."We can't be a democratic country with political prisoners," he said.
Mr Klitschko is also pushing to strengthen Ukraine's links with the EU. "We see our future in the European family. We are European with our mentality, with our history," he said.Mr Klitschko is also pushing to strengthen Ukraine's links with the EU. "We see our future in the European family. We are European with our mentality, with our history," he said.