Expert about anti-UOC “veche”: Grynkiv plays populist game before elections

Zolochiv mayor Igor Grynkiv holding a "veche" against the UOC near the house of the clergyman. Photo: a video screenshot from Irina Domaretskaya's Facebook page

The Zolochiv mayor, Igor Grynkiv, plays populist games before the autumn elections, Ukrainian political expert and historian Konstantin Bondarenko commented on the “veche” against the UOC near the house of the clergyman of the Lviv Eparchy, Priest Maxim Joenko.

“Grynkiv understands that elections will begin in autumn, and he needs to be re-elected. Therefore, he is trying to play populist games now,” Bondarenko said in a conversation with a correspondent of the Union of Journalists.

The political scientist also noted that what is happening in Zolochiv is a result of the religious policy of the former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.

“Law enforcement bodies should comment on what happened. I can only say that these are the consequences of the religious conflicts that are observed in the country today and which were really provoked by the actions of Petro Poroshenko,” the expert said. “We have religious intolerance, interfaith intolerance was practically eliminated by 2014, and Petro Poroshenko began to exploit it. And today we are reaping the fruits.”

As reported, on July 14, 2020, the Zolochiv mayor brought a sledgehammer to the “veche” against the UOC. During the gathering, he proposed to reimburse the cleric for the cost of the house he purchased and the construction work so that Priest Maxim would leave the town.

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