Ukrainian rock star Svyatoslav Vakarchuk has said he is stepping down as leader of Holos (Voice), the political party that he founded last year, to concentrate on using his star power to recruit new members.
Vakarchuk, who won a seat in parliament in July 2019, announced the decision in a video posted to the party's website following a party congress that took place on March 11.
Kira Rudyk, who previously served as the CEO of Ring Ukraine, a home-security and smart-home company owned by Amazon, will take his place.
"The [current] government, under the guise of new faces, actually installs old ones," Vakarchuk said.
"We, by example, demonstrate the opposite: we elevate new professional people to leadership roles in the party and parliament. That is why today, Holos has elected the best manager from our team as the new [party] head."
The singer-turned-lawmaker said he will continue building the political party with the aim to win more seats in the next election.
"My mission is to continue bringing new, honest, professional people into politics. This mission of political providence is my format in Ukrainian politics," Vakarchuk said.
Rudyk was elected to parliament in the third spot on the party's list. She is the deputy head of the parliamentary committee on digital transformation.
"Kira embodies modernity. And she will bring that modernity into the work of the party, along with the invaluable experience of managing large teams," Vakarchuk said, commenting on her new leadership role.
There are 20 Holos members in the parliamentary faction.