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Ukraine election: President Zelensky's party set to win Ukraine election: President Zelensky's party set to win
(about 2 hours later)
The party of Ukrainian president - and ex-comedian - Volodymyr Zelensky looks set to win an overall majority in the country's snap parliamentary election. President Volodymyr Zelensky looks set to be the first Ukrainian leader since the fall of communism to command an overall majority in parliament.
With more than 60% of votes counted, official results show his Servant of the People party with a share of 42.5%. Servant of the People, the party named after the TV sitcom that made him famous, has won 42.5% of the vote with more than 60% of results counted.
The pro-Russian Opposition Platform-For Life party is in second place with 13%. The party says it is on course to win nearly 250 of parliament's 450 seats.
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. A decisive win for Mr Zelensky's party will make it easier for him to push through reforms and tackle corruption.
It will also be the best result by any party in Ukraine's post-1991 history.It will also be the best result by any party in Ukraine's post-1991 history.
Since he triumphed in April's presidential poll, Mr Zelensky, 41, has been unable to appoint the ministers he wants.Since he triumphed in April's presidential poll, Mr Zelensky, 41, has been unable to appoint the ministers he wants.
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. On Sunday, 424 seats in the parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, were contested. Those seats not included represent the war-torn Donbas region and Crimea, which was annexed from Ukraine by Russia in 2014.
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 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?
Five parties look on course to clear the 5% threshold to enter parliament, with Mr Zelensky's party comfortably in the lead. Five parties look on course to clear the 5% threshold to enter parliament, with the pro-Russian Opposition Platform-For Life party in second place with 13%.
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". The Holos (Voice) party, seen as a possible coalition partner for Mr Zelensky should he need one, has so far won 6.3% of the vote.
Holos has so far won 6.3% 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 (8.5%) and Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (8%).
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 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.