This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/21/zelenskiy-wins-second-round-of-ukraines-presidential-election-exit-poll

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Zelenskiy wins second round of Ukraine's presidential election – exit poll Zelenskiy wins second round of Ukraine's presidential election – exit poll
(32 minutes later)
A comedian with no political experience won a landslide victory in Ukraine’s presidential election on Sunday, exit polls showed, dealing a stunning rebuke to the country’s political establishment. Petro Poroshenko has conceded defeat in Ukraine’s presidential election as exit polls suggested an overwhelming victory for Volodymyr Zelenskiy, an actor and comedian who has no political experience other than playing the role of president in a TV series.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, whose only previous political role was playing the role of Ukraine’s president on television, trounced incumbent Petro Poroshenko by taking 73% of the vote, according to exit polls conducted by several thinktanks. “I’m leaving office, but I want to make it clear that I’m not leaving politics,” said Poroshenko, after acknowledging his failure to win a second term on Sunday.
Poroshenko conceded defeat soon after the publication of the exit polls, Reuters reported. Zelenskiy appeared in front of a crowd of journalists at his campaign headquarters as the polls closed, and flashed an impish grin as he pushed his way on to the stage, while the theme tune to his television show played.
Poroshenko lost to his competition across all regions of the country, including in western parts where he had traditionally enjoyed strong support. “We did it together,” he said, thanking his wife, parents and campaign team. “Thanks to all the Ukrainian citizens who voted for me, and to all who didn’t. I promise I won’t mess up.”
It was an extraordinary outcome to a campaign that started as a joke but struck a chord with voters frustrated by poverty, corruption and a five-year war that has claimed 13,000 lives. The poll suggested the 41-year-old Zelenskiy had won the presidential runoff with 73.2% of the vote against Poroshenko’s 25.3%. Official results were due to come in gradually throughout Sunday night, but the exit poll showed a humiliating defeat for Poroshenko, and was in line with a series of polls over past weeks that have suggested Zelenskiy would win the runoff with ease.
The 41-year-old star of TV series Servant of the People will now lead a country of 45 million people having run on the vaguest of political platforms. Zelenskiy will take charge of a country facing numerous challenges, including a struggling economy and an ongoing war against Russia-backed separatist forces in the east that has so far claimed more than 13,000 lives.
After taking the most votes in last month’s first-round election, Zelenskiy had enjoyed a strong lead over the 53-year-old Poroshenko going into Sunday’s poll. He is best known for his role in the long-running Ukrainian television series Servant of the People, where he played a teacher unexpectedly elected to the presidency after an angry rant about corruption is posted online by his students.
Voting earlier in the capital Kyiv, the beaming frontrunner had said his campaign had managed to bring Ukrainians together. During the campaign, he offered little information about his policies or plans for the presidency, relying on viral videos, standup comedy gigs and jokes in place of traditional campaigning.
“We have united Ukraine,” he said, wearing a casual suit with a T-shirt, and accompanied by his wife. “Everything will be all right.” His campaign blurred the lines between the real-life Zelenskiy and his on-screen persona. Like the fictional president of his television series, Zelenskiy has promised to clean up politics and end the stranglehold of the oligarchy over Ukraine, but he has offered little by way of specifics.
Sparkling wine was on offer at his campaign headquarters as his team prepared to toast his victory on Palm Sunday, a week before Orthodox Easter. Concerns have been raised about his close links to the controversial oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi. He issued a denial after Poroshenko dubbed him a “Kolomoyskyi puppet” – although many members of Zelensky’s campaign team also have links to the oligarch.
Preliminary results were expected in several hours but the same exit polls were accurate in the first round. Journalists were offered free-flowing wine, table tennis tournaments and pumping music on Sunday evening at Zelenskiy’s campaign headquarters at a nightclub in an upmarket Kyiv business centre. However, there were no further details about his policies in his brief victory speech.
From Ukrainian-speaking regions in the west of the country to Russian-speaking territories in the war-torn east, many voters said they yearned for change despite fearing uncertainty. Zelenskiy has benefitted from voter dissatisfaction with Poroshenko, who came to office five years ago after the Maidan revolution. The billionaire confectionary magnate promised Ukrainians they would “live in a new way”, but the pace of change has been too slow for many.
“We’re tired of all the lies,” said Marta Semenyuk, 26, who cast her ballot for the comedian. The two candidates faced off in a chaotic televised debate at Kyiv’s Olympic Stadium on Friday evening, but the spectacle did not appear to change many minds. Poroshenko’s supporters tended to be worried about Zelenskiy’s lack of experience and potentially more amenable attitude towards friendlier relations with Russia, while backers of Zelenskiy insisted that Poroshenko’s first term had been a failure and that he did not deserve another chance.
“I think it just cannot get any worse and I hope he’ll live up to his promises,” said Larisa, an 18-year-old student from the government-held eastern port city of Mariupol. Voting on Sunday took place across the country, from the Carpathian mountains in the west to the war-torn Donbass region in the east, where soldiers on the frontline had an opportunity to cast their ballots.
Zelenskiy’s victory opens a new chapter in the history of a country that has gone through two popular uprisings in the last 20 years, and is mired in conflict against Moscow-backed separatists in the east. “My nephew has been on the frontline in Donbass; what kind of country would put a clown in charge of its armed forces during a war?” asked Tetiana Hrytsenko, 61, who cast her ballot for Poroshenko on Sunday morning in Kyiv. A group of young people emerging from the same polling station said they had all voted for Zelenskiy.
His supporters say only a fresh face can clean up Ukraine’s politics. There was little enthusiasm on display for either candidate, with most voters opting for the candidate they considered the least-worst option.
However, others doubt that Zelenskiy will be able to take on the country’s influential oligarchs, and negotiate with the likes of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. “It’s like when you go to a cheap supermarket and all of the fruit is rotten, and you rummage around to find the least rotten piece,” said Anna, 32, an office manager who said she had waited hours in line to register for voting papers. On Sunday morning, she had still not decided which candidate she would vote for.
“People have gone mad,” said Viktoriya Olomutska, a 39-year-old Poroshenko supporter in Kyiv. “Cinema and reality are two different things.” After voting in Kyiv, Zelenskiy was admonished by police for showing his ballot paper to the cameras. Displaying the ballot is illegal under Ukrainian law, and he now faces a fine of up to £24.
Earlier on Sunday, Poroshenko had warned Ukrainians against taking a chance on Zelenskiy. The chaotic but lively campaign in Ukraine has been watched closely in neighbouring Russia. While Russian state television has mocked the circus-like aspect of the vote, many have also looked on enviously at the lively debate and competitive atmosphere. On Sunday evening, Zelenskiy’s declaration of victory carried a message that could reverberate in the Kremlin.
“Because this is not funny. Well, at first it can be a bit funny and then it might hurt afterwards,” Poroshenko said, after casting his ballot. “As a citizen of Ukraine I can say to all post-Soviet countries: ‘Look at us. Everything is possible’,” he said.
The comedian shunned traditional campaign rallies and instead performed comedy gigs and used social media to appeal to voters.
The Ukrainian president has strong powers over defence, security and foreign policy but needs backing from parliament to push through reforms.
Poroshenko’s faction has the most seats in the current legislature and new parliamentary polls are due in October.
The west has closely watched the presidential contest amid concerns that a new government might undo years of economic reforms in Ukraine.
Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, called both Zelenskiy and Poroshenko on the eve of the runoff vote.
UkraineUkraine
EuropeEurope
Petro PoroshenkoPetro Poroshenko
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content