It’s no joke – comedian set to become president of Ukraine
● Exit poll says sitcom star has crushed opponent in landslide win
A comedian who plays an inexperienced president on Ukrainian TV is poised to reprise the role in real life after an exit poll indicated he received nearly three out of every four votes cast in a runoff election.
Results from the exit poll released yesterday after voting stations closed showed Volodymyr Zelenskiy receiving 73.2 per cent of the nationwide vote, while incumbent president Petro Poroshenko had 25.3 per cent.
If borne out by election returns, expected today, the overwhelming victory by Mr Zelenskiy would be a crushing verdict on Mr Poroshenko’s five years in office.
Mr Zelenskiy, 41, became famous for his comic portrayal in a series about a teacher who becomes president after a video of him denouncing corruption goes viral. He has never held political office.
Despite that, he promised he would not disappoint his country’s people, saying his apparent win could be a model for other former Soviet states that want to move beyond ossified politics.
He said: “While I am not yet president, I can speak as a citizen of Ukraine. To all the countries of the former Soviet Union, look at us. Everything is possible.
“I promise, I will never let you down.”
If polls are correct, he will be elected for a five-year term.
Ukraine’s president holds significant powers over the security, defence and foreign policy of the country.
Mr Poroshenko, whose campaign was mired in allegations of corruption and the growing level of poverty in the country during his time in office, accepted defeat after the exit poll was released, saying he was willing to help his rival take over the presidency.
“The outcome of the election leaves us with uncertainty [and] unpredictability,” he
said. “I am leaving office but I want to firmly underline that I am not leaving politics.”
Although Mr Zelenskiy was criticised for a vague campaign platform and having never held public office, voters appeared to have cast aside those concerns in favour of a thorough sweep of Ukraine’s political leadership.
“I have grown up under the old politicians and only have seen empty promises, lies and corruption,” said Lyudmila Potrebko, 22, a computer programmer who cast her ballot
for Mr Zelenskiy. “It’s time to change that.”
Mr Poroshenko was a billionaire confectionery magnate and former foreign minister before he took office in 2014 after massive street protests drove his Russia-friendly predecessor to flee the country.
Although he introduced some reforms, critics said he had not done nearly enough to curb the country’s endemic corruption.
“We have grown poor under Poroshenko and have to save to buy food and clothing,” said Irina Fakhova, 55, a sales clerk. “We have had enough of them getting mired in corruption and filling their pockets and treating us like fools.”
Millions of people living in the rebel-controlled east and in Russia-annexed Crimea were unable to vote. Russia seized Crimea in 2014 in an invasion that Ukraine and almost all of the world regards as illegal. Fighting in the east that erupted that same year after the Russian annexation has killed more than 13,000 people.
Mr Zelenskiy, who comes from Ukraine’s mostly Russian-speaking east, has opposed Mr Poroshenko’s push for a bill that would outlaw the Russian language. He also pledged to keep Ukraine on its pro-western course, but said the country should join Nato only if voters give their approval in a referendum.
During the campaign he said his priority would be direct talks with Russia to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Before the results he said his campaign had already “helped to unite the country”.