Open audition: Ukraine's comedian president invites citizens to run in July poll

Roman Hryshchuk, a 29-year-old comedian and parliamentary election candidate, speaks during an interview with Reuters at his election headquarter in Kiev, Ukraine July 4, 2019. Picture taken July 4, 2019. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KIEV (Reuters) - A comedian and entrepreneur, 29-year-old Roman Hryshchuk had only been in politics for a few weeks when he found himself in front of a semicircle of voters in a park in western Kiev, fielding questions from a testy audience.

One woman in a pink hoodie repeatedly asked whether he would sell his television production business if he became a lawmaker, and then asked where his campaign office was so she could visit him.