Minister Matviy Bidnyy Responds to Initiative for His Dismissal: Parliament Will Assess the Proposal

During a press conference titled 'The Future of Ukrainian Sports' held on Thursday in Kyiv, Matviy Bidnyy, the Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, commented on the initiative by MP Yuriy Pavlenko regarding his potential dismissal from office. Bidnyy emphasized that the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's Parliament, would undoubtedly provide a proper assessment of the resolution that has been registered in the legislative body.

"Regarding the draft resolution registered by Yuriy Oleksiyovych Pavlenko, I believe it is entirely normal that we have differences in opinion on how the sector should develop, given that he was a former minister of youth in Yanukovych's government. I think Parliament will give this initiative the appropriate evaluation," Bidnyy underscored.

Furthermore, the minister elaborated on his position concerning the election of the rector of the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine, which has triggered the initiative for his dismissal. He stated that the postponement of the elections was entirely transparent and conducted within the legal framework. "The university is operational, and an acting rector has been appointed. We are planning to conduct an audit to verify all the facts that have been reported," he added.

It is worth noting that earlier, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine announced the postponement of the rector elections at the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine and appealed to the National Police of Ukraine to investigate potential violations. The ministry indicated that it had received reports regarding possible unlawful activities by individuals involved in the elections, as well as concerns regarding the integrity of certain candidates. In light of this, the ministry announced plans for an audit of the sports university's operations.

Additionally, Matviy Bidnyy appointed Yuriy Radchenko, an associate professor from the Department of Martial Arts and Strength Sports, as the acting rector of NUFVSU, while simultaneously relieving Vice-Rector Oleksandr Pyzhov of his duties as acting rector. This decision sparked outrage among some members of the university staff, who appealed to the President to dismiss Bidnyy and ensure the lawful conduct of the rector elections.

On April 7, MP Yuriy Pavlenko, representing the 'Platform for Life and Peace' group, registered a draft resolution in the Verkhovna Rada proposing the dismissal of Matviy Bidnyy from his position as Minister of Youth and Sports. Pavlenko emphasized that this proposal is related to the situation surrounding the rector elections at NUFVSU and expressed hope that Parliament would respond to this initiative.