The pre-election polls were accurate, the exit polling spot on, but Ukrainians were still surprised at the outcome of the first round of voting in the Ukrainian presidential election on March 31.
The victory of Volodymyr Zelenskiy had many scratching their heads next day, and pondering on social media what the comedian’s win augers for the second round vote on April 21, and what it all means for Ukrainian society.
With the Central Election Commission still tallying up the results, Zelenskiy and incumbent President Petro Poroshenko now look almost certain to face off in the second round:
Zelenskiy has won over 30 percent, and Poroshenko has just over 16 percent.
The Kyiv Post has picked out some of the best comments published by the news website Ukrainska Pravda:
Valerii Pekar, the founder of Nova Kraiina civic platform wrote on Facebooks that “Real democracy is when the outcome of the vote is a surprise. Let’s congratulate ourselves: Ukraine is not Russia, Ukraine is Europe.”
“Poroshenko should understand finally that the people are very dissatisfied. Even those who voted for him are very dissatisfied.” Pekar wrote.
Zurab Alasania, the CEO of Ukraine’s Suspilne Telebachennya (Public Television) wrote on Facebook: “Yes, I know that there is going to be another round. But you won’t be surprised, however, that even before its completion, and right after it, thousands of the supporters of the current establishment will start to switch sides.”
Yurii Kasianov, the head of A Drones company, wrote in a post on Facebook dripping with sarcasm that “Zelenskiy’s first place is a complete, triumphal victory for Poroshenko. For the whole five years of his presidency, Petro Oleksiiovych (Poroshenko) has done everything possible and impossible, did his utmost, worked to the point of disgust, for people to vote for anyone but politicians.” Kasianov’s post reads.
Serhii Stukanov, the deputy head of the analytical department at the Center for Content Analysis, wrote on Facebook that “Zelenskiy did not give an interview after the announcement of exit polls. … But Zelenskiy’s voters are not interested in the TV. Tomorrow morning he will post some Instagram and YouTube stories for them – and they will be satisfied.”
Besides arguing about Zelenskiy and President Petro Poroshenko, some Ukrainian also make jokes about the presidential candidate and former chief of Security Service of Ukraine Ihor Smeshko and journalist Dmytro Gordon, who promised to grow a mustache if Smeshko failed to get over 3 percent of the vote.
“There is one important outcome of the first round, about which the authorities and analysts prefer to remain silent. Smeshko gaining more than 3 percent, which means that Gordon will not grow a mustache,” reads the Facebook post of Ukrainska Pravda`s correspondent Yevhen Rudenko.
Ukrainian member of parliament Boryslav Bereza suggested Ukrainians not get too worked up about the elections.
“Understand the main thing – there will be different presidents, but Ukraine will remain. And we all live here. In Ukraine! Stay human. This is the main thing,” Bereza’s Facebook post reads.
The full article by Ukrainska Pravda can be seen here.
