This article is from the source 'bbc' 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 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49061504

The article has changed 17 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 10 Version 11
Ukraine election: President Zelensky's party set to win Ukraine election: President Zelensky's party set to win
(32 minutes later)
The party of Ukrainian president - and ex-comedian - Volodymyr Zelensky is set to win a snap parliamentary election, consolidating his political power. The party of Ukrainian president - and ex-comedian - Volodymyr Zelensky looks set to win an overall majority in the country's snap parliamentary election.
Official results show his Servant of the People party will have a majority in parliament - but may still need a coalition partner to form a government. With more than 60% of votes counted, official results show his Servant of the People party with a share of 42.5%.
Mr Zelensky said he would hold talks with the Holos (The Voice) party, which is led by a rock star. The pro-Russian Opposition Platform-For Life party is in second place with 13%.
The president has pledged to implement radical reforms and tackle corruption. A decisive win for Mr Zelensky's party, which was only registered last year, will make it easier for him to push through reforms and tackle corruption.
Since he triumphed in April's presidential poll, Mr Zelensky has been unable to appoint the ministers he wants. It will also be the best result by any party in Ukraine's post-1991 history.
His party, which was only registered last year, is projected by Ukrainian media outlets to be on course to win an absolute majority - more than half of the seats in Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. Since he triumphed in April's presidential poll, Mr Zelensky, 41, has been unable to appoint the ministers he wants.
Only 424 of the 450 seats are up for grabs, with the remaining seats representing Crimea, which was annexed from Ukraine by Russia in a military intervention in 2014. He said on Sunday that if he needed to form a coalition, he would hold talks with the Holos (The Voice) party, which is led by rock star Svyatoslav Vakarchuk.
Only 424 of the 450 seats in Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, are up for grabs, with the remaining seats representing Ukraine's Donbass region and Crimea, which was annexed from Ukraine by Russia in a military intervention in 2014.
Speaking outside a polling station after casting his ballot in Kiev on Sunday, Mr Zelensky told the BBC's Steve Rosenberg that the snap election was "maybe more important than the presidential election".Speaking outside a polling station after casting his ballot in Kiev on Sunday, Mr Zelensky told the BBC's Steve Rosenberg that the snap election was "maybe more important than the presidential election".
What are the latest results?What are the latest results?
With more than 50% of votes counted, five parties look on course to clear the 5% threshold to enter parliament. Five parties look on course to clear the 5% threshold to enter parliament, with Mr Zelensky's party comfortably in the lead.
Partial official results give Mr Zelensky's party 42.5% of the vote, with the pro-Russian Opposition Platform-For Life, who Mr Zelensky has ruled out a coalition with, in second place with 12.8%. Speaking in Kiev after the polls closed, Mr Zelensky said that inviting Mr Vakarchuk's Holos party to hold talks on forming a coalition "was my initiative even before the election".
Speaking in Kiev after the polls closed, Mr Zelensky said that inviting Svyatoslav Vakarchuk's Holos party to hold talks on forming a coalition "was my initiative even before the election". Holos has so far won 6.3% of the vote.
Holos has so far won 6.4% of the vote. The other two parties projected to enter parliament are former President Petro Poroshenko's European Solidarity (8.5%) and Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (8%).
The other two parties projected to enter parliament are former President Petro Poroshenko's European Solidarity (8.7%) and Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (8.2%).
The victorious party or coalition will form a government and nominate a prime minister.The victorious party or coalition will form a government and nominate a prime minister.
What powers does Ukraine's parliament have?What powers does Ukraine's parliament have?
The president told our correspondent that the "president, prime minister and parliament have to work together, just to make life happy for Ukraine".The president told our correspondent that the "president, prime minister and parliament have to work together, just to make life happy for Ukraine".
He said the key issues were investment, democracy and safety.He said the key issues were investment, democracy and safety.
The comedian presidentThe comedian president
Mr Zelensky was known for his comic role on TV as a teacher who wins the heart of the nation and becomes president after his expletive-laden rant about politics goes viral.Mr Zelensky was known for his comic role on TV as a teacher who wins the heart of the nation and becomes president after his expletive-laden rant about politics goes viral.
In reality, his route to the leadership was a bit more conventional than in his show - but only a bit.In reality, his route to the leadership was a bit more conventional than in his show - but only a bit.
After shunning rallies and speeches and openly admitting he did not have any strong political views, he scored a landslide victory in April and unseated Mr Poroshenko, a political heavyweight.After shunning rallies and speeches and openly admitting he did not have any strong political views, he scored a landslide victory in April and unseated Mr Poroshenko, a political heavyweight.
The election was widely expected to give Mr Zelensky a greater mandate for reform, sweeping aside the old guard and bringing new faces to parliament.The election was widely expected to give Mr Zelensky a greater mandate for reform, sweeping aside the old guard and bringing new faces to parliament.
One of the candidates for Servant of the People, for example, is Zhan Beleniuk, an Olympic wrestler who wants to become Ukraine's first mixed-race MP.One of the candidates for Servant of the People, for example, is Zhan Beleniuk, an Olympic wrestler who wants to become Ukraine's first mixed-race MP.