The Ukrainian boxer best known by his nickname "Dr. Ironfist" said Thursday that he will run for president of the country in 2015.
42-year-old Vitali Klitschko, who is both a professional heavyweight boxer and the Parliamentary leader of political party Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform, announced his decision to run for president of Ukraine during a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada - the country's Supreme Council.
"I want to say that I cannot be intimidated or stopped. In order to stop various wild guesses and attempts to get rid of me as a possible candidate, I want to say: I am running for president," State-run news agency Interfax reported Klitschko as saying.
But some legal experts have said that nominating Klitschko for president could be an issue, due to the country's legislation on running for office. Citizens intending on running for the Ukrainian presidency must "permanently [reside there] for ten years." Kitschko, who has split his time between the Ukraine and Germany, waved away the notion that this should keep him from getting on the campaign trail.
"I have a residence permit in Germany, but this doesn't violate the Ukrainian legislation, and I've always been a citizen of Ukraine," he added, making reference to the passing of a bill that augmented code for listing and registering tax payers that UDAR said was a direct affront against Klitschko.
"The amendment No. 76 is aimed against Vitali Klitschko," Viktor Chumak, People's Deputy of UDAR told the Ukrainian press. "It is utterly clear...so that there are grounds for some denials in registration."
The amendment in question stipulates that "in case a person has the right of permanent residence in a foreign country, this individual is considered as not living in the Ukraine."
Klitschko has run twice for mayor of Kiev. He has a master's degree in social development, in addition to a doctorate in sports science. The 6-foot, 7-inch heavyweight has accrued 47 wins during his career as a boxer - 41 of which were gained by knockouts, CNN reported.
