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Boxing champ Klitschko scuffles with political opponents

KIEV — Boxing champion Vitali Klitschko on Tuesday threatened to throw some of his world famous punches in the political arena during a tussle at a local parliament in his native Ukraine.

"If anyone resorts to force, then I'll resort to force too," the World Boxing Council heavyweight _title_ holder threatened, as a scuffle broke out in the Kiev local assembly.

Two-metre-tall (six feet, seven inches) Klitschko, a local politician, found himself at the centre of the action as lawmakers from his opposition group faced off against legislators from the city mayor's party, in heated exchanges shown on Ukrainian television.

"I didn't hit anyone, I just tried to push a few people away," he told television channel 1+1 afterwards.

Klitschko, who last month successfully defended his WBC _title_, added that using his mighty strength "could have led to certain lawmakers being admitted to hospital."

The scuffle started when the 38-year-old boxer and his allies, angered by the failure of the administration to approve land redistribution in Kiev, decided to try and stop a session of the assembly from opening.

Here's a picture from the scuffle
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/slideshow/ALeqM5gq9JazepmLnpFvo-6cQHYsO6nRkw?index=0

Boxer Klitschko takes punch in Kiev city council tussle
Posted : Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:16:46 GMT
By : dpa

Kievdpa) - World heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko threw his size and weight into Ukrainian politics Tuesday, tussling with elected officials and even taking a punch from one opponent over what he called "illegal" operations of the Kiev city council. Klitschko - the holder of belts from the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Organization and the International Boxing Organization - was at the head of a group of some 15 opposition council members preventing the work of the city council.

The group physically blocked the majority of members from calling a council meeting to order.

Ukrainian television showed images of Klitschko in heated debate with council representatives loyal to Kiev Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky, a political opponent of Klitschko's.

Council members loyal to Chernovetsky attempted to force Klitschko and his supporters from lecterns and voting equipment and declared the meeting open amidst shouting and shoving matches involving, among others, the 2.01-metre-tall Klitschko.

Members of Klitschko's self-named political party, a pro-reform group currently holding a minority of the Kiev city council's seats, are seeking to place the city council's work "under blockade" at least until October 15, when new anti-corruption law takes effect, said Natalia Pavlova, a Klitschko spokeswoman, in telephone comments.

Klitschko was not injured and did not retaliate when an unidentified Council member struck the world champion in the face, she said.

Under current law, Kiev's city council, at present controlled by a pro-Chernovetsky bloc, may sell or transfer city-owned real estate to applicants by majority vote. Critics say it has often carried out these transactions at well below market prices.

A national reform law that comes into force October 16 will make open tenders mandatory for rent or purchase of city real estate. Klitschko charges that the Council is trying to rush through property transfers before the law takes effect.

Mayor Chernovetsky, in remarks later in the afternoon in the council chamber, accused Klitschko and his allies of sabotaging the work of the Kiev council. He has denied wrongdoing within the city administration.

The Chernovetsky administration's aggressive real estate policies last month sparked an international scandal when an opposition council member leaked to media a city plan to consider building a hotel across the street from the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial.

Chernovetsky later called the row, drawing criticism from Jewish groups from as far away as the US, a "misunderstanding."

Oleksander Dovhy, a Chernovetsky associate, called on Klitschko to remove the blockade and allow the city council to get on with its business, according to an Interfax news agency report.

Prevention of the work of the majority in a voting body by an upset minority - usually referred to as "blocking the tribune" - is a regular feature of Ukrainian democracy.

Ukraine's Parliament has failed to conduct much work in 2009 because of blocking tactics employed by the legislature's four main parties.