MP Yuriy Aristov of the pro-presidential Servant of the People faction has tendered a letter stating his intention to give up his parliamentary seat following the publication of an investigation into his holiday in the Maldives.
It will be considered at the next parliament meeting, speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said on Facebook.
Yesterday, Slidstvo Info journalists reported that Aristov was on holiday in an expensive hotel in the Maldives in mid-July. The hotel staff confirmed the guest by that name, but noted that he had already left. Aristov did not respond to the question, while his spokeswoman asked the journalists to submit an inquiry, which, as of the time of publication, had not been answered either.
The Servant of the People faction, of which Aristov is a member, initiated the suspension of his membership and said that they would check the information about his holidays and, if confirmed, initiate his resignation.
Aristov was elected to parliament on the party's list, so if he were expelled from the faction, he would automatically lose his mandate, unlike his former colleague Mykola Tyshchenko, who was expelled for visiting Thailand. He lost his membership in the faction and the party, but continues to be an MP.