Members of the Azov Civil Corps non-governmental organization along with veterans of the Azov regiment of Ukraine’s National Guard on Friday held a congress and created the National Corps Party.
The Patriot Party, which was also named differently before 2015 and already registered by the Justice Ministry, renamed itself the National Corps. Congress delegates elected parliament deputy Andriy Biletsky to head the party for the next four years.
Azov National Guard Headquarters Commander Nazariy Kravchenko was elected Biletsky’s first deputy and members of the party high council were selected.
Requisite changes to the charter of the political party and its program were approved.
The program says the National Corps supports amending the Constitution of Ukraine to expand presidential authorities, granting him authority to be the chief of the armed forces as well as the head of government.
The party also favors restoring Ukraine’s nuclear power status and nationalizing enterprises which were government owned when Ukraine became independent in 1991.
On foreign policy, the party advocates severing diplomatic, trade and culture ties with Russia. The party’s priority foreign policy issue is forging an alliance with Baltic and Black Sea nations, called the Baltic and Black Sea Union.
The party advocates expanding civic rights, including the right to bear arms.
“All citizens who receive permission will be allowed to own and carry pistols,” the program says.
The party also said it would initiate public discussion on the issue of restoring the death penalty in Ukraine for treason and the embezzlement of government funds by officials in excessive amounts.
