Comedian wins landslide victory in Ukraine presidential vote: exit polls

KIEV: Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky won a landslide victory in Ukraine’s presidential election on Sunday, exit polls showed, trouncing incumbent Petro Poroshenko.

Zelensky, a 41-year-old whose only previous political experience was playing the president on television, took 73 percent of the vote, according to exit polls conducted by several think tanks.

Poroshenko took 25 percent of the vote, losing to the television star across all regions of the country, including in the west where he traditionally enjoyed strong support. The remaining ballots were spoiled.

Ukraine’s outgoing leader Petro Poroshenko conceded defeat in Sunday’s presidential election and congratulated comedian Volodymyr Zelensky on his landslide victory.

Poroshenko said the results were “clear” and a reason to “call my opponent and congratulate him”, after exit polls showed the performer taking 73 percent of the vote.

“I will leave office but I want to firmly stress — I will not quit politics,” he added. Earlier, Ukrainians went to polls Sunday in the second round of an extraordinary election.

Forty-one-year-old Volodymyr Zelensky´s bid to lead the country of 45 million people was initially dismissed as a joke when he announced his candidacy on New Year´s Eve. But now all opinion polls suggest incumbent President Petro Poroshenko is heading for defeat amid widespread anger over poverty, corruption and war.

Zelensky´s victory is expected to open a new chapter in the history of a country that has gone through two popular uprisings in two decades and is mired in a five-year conflict with separatists in the east.

Polling stations opened at 0500 GMT as voters from Ukrainian-speaking regions in the west to Russian-speaking regions in the war-torn east went to cast their ballots. Speaking outside a polling booth in the capital Kiev, Galyna, 81, said she voted for Zelensky.

"Because I am against Poroshenko," said the pensioner who refused to give her last name. - ´People went mad´ - Zelensky has tapped into widespread frustration over graft, poverty and a conflict with separatists that has claimed some 13,000 lives.

But others doubted whether the consummate showman would be able to take on the country´s vested interests, negotiate with the likes of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and stand up to Russia´s Vladimir Putin.

Viktoriya Olomutska in Kiev suggested many voted for teacher-turned-president Vasyl Goloborodko, Zelensky´s character in the popular TV show "Servant of the People", now in its third season and available on Netflix.

"People have gone mad," said the 39-year-old Poroshenko supporter, adding many pinned their hopes on "a fictional character". Seventy-eight-year-old Maria said it was incomprehensible to her that a majority supported Zelensky.

"There cannot be so many fools in the country," she fumed. "But no, apparently there are!" A survey by the Rating pollster this week showed Zelensky winning 73 percent of the vote against 27 percent for Poroshenko. Exit poll results are expected at 1700 GMT and the first preliminary results several hours later.