Despite being the target of numerous corruption investigations, Odesa Mayor Hennady Trukhanov is headed to victory in the Nov. 15 runoff election, according to an exit poll released at 8 p.m. on Nov. 15 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
The institute said its tally showed Trukhanov easily defeating his pro-Russian Opposition Platform – For Life opponent Mykola Skoryk. The exit poll showed Trukhanov with 56.7% of the vote and Skoryk with 40.9%. The sample took place at 40 polling stations with 2,126 respondents.
Trukhanov has been charged in corruption cases and is at the center of scandals involving his Russian citizenship and alleged former membership in a mafia gang.
He has been accused of turning Odesa into his personal fiefdom, profiteering through municipal contracts as well as land sales while destroying its historic architectural heritage and natural landscapes. The mayor has denied all accusations of wrongdoing. His party, Trust in Deeds, is also pro-Russian.
In the Oct. 25 vote, neither Trukhanov nor Skoryk won a majority of the vote, forcing a runoff in a crowded field of candidates. Trukhanov received 38% of the vote to Skoryk’s 19.5%.
