Deputy Kolesnichenko Compelled to Revoke His Vote in Support of Patriarch Josyf Slipyj

Under public pressure, a Ukrainian Deputy representing the Party of Regions, head of the Coordination Council of Russian Compatriots and a group of deputies supporting the canonical Orthodoxy, Vadim Kolesnichenko, sent the Speaker of the Parliament an address revoking his vote for the celebration of the 120th anniversary of birth of Patriarch Josyf Slipyj of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church even though he did not intend to do so originally, Religion in Ukraine reported.

“Most probably, I was simply out. My card must have just activated,” said the deputy to a correspondent of the Russian agency New Region after the voting.

Notably, Vadim Kolesnichenko earlier voted for the submission of the draft resolution for voting. He explained his actions by a decision of the faction of the Party of Regions and said that the consideration of the question in the hall “would allow one to express one’s position and bring down a peg or two people who seek to make heroes of the Nazi collaborators.”