Polls show comedian Volodymyr Zelensky with a big lead over President Petro Poroshenko.
By Anton Troianovski Anton Troianovski Moscow bureau chief covering Russia Email Bio Follow April 21 at 5:04 AM BREAKING NEWS: Volodymyr Zelensky, who plays Ukraine’s president in a popular television show, has secured an apparent landslide win amid economic hardship and fatigue from conflict with Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The strategically pivotal country becomes the latest to turn to a politically untested leader.
“I voted for Zelensky because everything he said is true,” a secretary in Kiev, 45-year-old Viktoriia Bengalska, said. “It’s impossible to survive on this salary, prices have increased like crazy, and we were promised something totally different.” In his last-ditch appeal, Poroshenko told voters that handing the presidency to Zelensky would put the very existence of the country at risk. Zelensky’s slick, social media and TV-driven campaign masked the influence of the Kremlin and of unscrupulous billionaires, Poroshenko alleged.
“Who do you think I will vote for?” Dzhurynska said. “We’ll lose Ukraine with Zelensky,” she added, and broke into tears. On his sitcom, Zelensky plays a simple, morally upright schoolteacher who is elected president after his rant of outrage over corruption is caught on camera and goes viral. He then takes on Ukraine’s entrenched business and political elites, refusing to be bought. The third season of Zelensky’s show, “Servant of the People,” started airing last month and includes scenes of a prosperous, corruption-free Ukraine in the aftermath of the Zelensky character’s presidency.
Zelensky’s most powerful advantage in the runoff may be simply that he is not Poroshenko. A recent poll by Rating, a Ukrainian polling firm, showed Zelensky leading Poroshenko 58 percent to 22 percent among those planning to cast a ballot, with 20 percent undecided. Other surveys have shown Zelensky leading with a similar margin.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
Comedian expected to crush incumbent in Ukraine’s presidential electionFaced with the strong possibility of being trounced by a comedian with no political experience, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has started throwing Hail Marys, such as awkwardly performing a folk song on stage.
Consulte Mais informação »
Fed up with status quo, Ukrainians may elect comedian in presidential run-offUkrainians vote on Sunday in the second round of an election that could thrust a...
Consulte Mais informação »
Fed up with status quo, Ukrainians may elect comedian in presidential run-offUkrainians vote on Sunday in the second round of an election that could thrust a...
Consulte Mais informação »
Comedian faces president in Ukrainian pre-election stadium debateUkraine’s two presidential candidates, Petro Poroshenko and Volodymyr Zelenskiy, on Friday faced each other in a debate held in a stadium in front of thousands.
Consulte Mais informação »
Comedian Zelenskiy keeps Ukraine presidential poll leadComic actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a political novice who plays a fictional presid...
Consulte Mais informação »
Comedian Zelenskiy would win second round of Ukraine vote, poll showsThe presidential candidate and comic actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy is likely to win ...
Consulte Mais informação »
Hungry for change, Ukrainians set to elect comedian as next presidentUkrainians fed up with entrenched corruption and hungry for change are likely to...
Consulte Mais informação »
Fed up with status quo, Ukrainians tipped to elect comedian as presidentUkrainians began voting on Sunday in an election expected to thrust a comedian w...
Consulte Mais informação »
Polls open in North Macedonia for presidential electionPolls open Sunday in North Macedonia for presidential election seen as a key test for the government following country's name change
Consulte Mais informação »
Poroshenko 2.0: Ukraine leader reboots campaign ahead of presidential run-offPoroshenko 2.0: Ukraine leader reboots campaign ahead of presidential run-off via ReutersTV
Consulte Mais informação »
Ukrainian presidential candidates trade insults in rowdy stadium debateThe two men vying to be Ukraine's next president traded insults in a raucou...
Consulte Mais informação »