The same persons are in the lead, Ukraine’s Central Election Commission said after processing 94% of ballots: Petro Poroshenko and Volodymyr Zelenskiy will square off in the second round of the 2019 presidential elections on April, 21.
Whom have different Ukrainian regions given precedence to? Which of them is standing a fair chance for success in the second round?
The showman, who took Ukraine’s political scene just three months ago has become the frontrunner in the presidential race – about 30% of Ukrainian voters support him. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, presidential candidate:
“I would like to say thanks to all Ukrainians, to everyone who voted for this landslide victory that our team pulled out!”
There’s been a veritable firestorm of emotions at Petro Poroshenko’s election office. With around 16% of votes, the incumbent president outcompeted former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. According to Poroshenko, Zelenskiy is a dependent candidate who is good for the Kremlin. Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine’s president:
“Why are the Kremlin, its agents and oligarchs running mad in these elections? Because they have completely lost control [over Ukraine]! In the second round, the fate brought me together with – and I am not ashamed to say it – [oligarch Igor] Kolomoisky’s puppet. And we do not give any chance to Kolomoisky!”
63% of Ukrainian citizens cast their ballots in the first round, which is 3 percent more than it was during the 2014 presidential elections. Volodymyr Zelenskiy gained the biggest support in the south and east of Ukraine. Poroshenko is favoured by the west and in Kyiv. But the political views of Ukrainians are no longer defined by the language or region, some experts believe.
“Lower-income persons supported Zelenskiy, while richer backed other candidates. In addition, one could argue that there are differences related to the type of production and way of life, e.g. between cities and industrial areas. Kyiv is a far cry from, for example, Zaporizhia,” political scientist Oleg Saakyan told Belsat.
President’s authority is not untethered in Ukraine; its parliament has greater powers. However, the head of state has a strong impact on foreign policy, the National Bank and armed forces. Who will take on the role? The world will find out after the second round.
Residents of Kyiv:
“I will vote for Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He is my candidate, I made my choice long ago.”
“I will vote for Poroshenko, because he succeeded as Commander-in-chief. Yes, he had his own bloopers, but I will not change my mind.”
“I am for Zelenskiy. I don’t like Poroshenko. He did a lot of harm, especially to young people.”
“I met Zelenskiy in 2016 and we had a talk. Then I told him: “You’re a great guy, you’re a great showman, you are competent, but you will not manage to do that. No one will.”
So, which candidate is the most electable?
“In the second round, there will be rather ‘voting against someone’ rather ‘voting for someone’. It will be the struggle of antirankings, in which Poroshenko’s is much higher. But Zelenskiy will need to change his own image. He should go beyond his comfort zone,” Saakyan warns.
Zelenskiy will have to finally say who he will appoint to key positions and what measures he will take to hold his campaign promises.
No systemic violations were spotted during the elections, the Central Election Commission stated. Who will become the next president of Ukraine? We will see in three weeks.
Alyaksandr Papko, Belsat.eu
