After the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election on March 31, the country will likely be stuck with an oligarch-linked president yet again. The two presidential front-runners are Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a comedian linked to one of Ukraine’s most controversial oligarchs, and incumbent president Petro Poroshenko, an oligarch himself. Zelenskiy is on track for a big first-round win, with about 30 percent of the vote, followed by Poroshenko, with about 16 percent, according to preliminary results. The two will likely compete in a runoff election on April 21.
2019 Presidential Election
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Vitaliy Shabunin, Olena Halushka: Ukraine’s presidential predicament
Ukrainian comic actor, showman and presidential frontrunner Volodymyr Zelensky surrounded by cameramen and photographers plays table tennis with a journalist ahead of the provisional results at the headquarter in Kyiv on March 31, 2019. Comedian and political novice Volodymyr Zelensky topped the first round of Ukraine's presidential election on Sunday, exit polls showed, leading incumbent Petro Poroshenko into a run-off.
