Law does not prohibit ministers from participating in elections - Shmyhal

The Ukrainian legislation does not prohibit incumbent government members from running in local elections and fully performing their ministerial duties, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

He said this during a question-and-answer session in the Verkhovna Rada on Friday, September 18, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Regarding the participation of government members in local elections, this is not prohibited by law. If a minister does not take part in campaigning, then the law allows him or her to participate in elections. If they take part in campaigning, of course, they need to take a vacation, but there are no such plans," Shmyhal said.

Earlier reports said that Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov had been named No.1 on the Servant of the People party ticket for Odesa Regional Council.

op