Volodymyr Zelensky, who plays a president on TV, leads in polls. The key question Sunday is whether incumbent Petro Poroshenko can take second for a runoff.
Ukrainian comic actor, showman and presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelensky performs March 13 with his “95th block” comedy group in Kiev, Ukraine. By David L. Stern and Anton Troianovski Anton Troianovski Moscow bureau chief covering Russia Email Bio Follow March 29 at 12:04 PM KIEV, Ukraine — A country at war with Russian-backed separatists appears ready to move a comedian and political novice one step closer to becoming the possible commander in chief.
All three leading candidates say they want to continue deepening Ukraine’s ties to Western institutions such as the European Union. But domestic discontent over a weak economy, war and corruption in the entrenched political class has spurred many voters to spurn Poroshenko and Tymoshenko. Poroshenko has tried to use the war against Russian-backed separatists in the east and Russia’s occupation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea to whip up voter support in his favor. He’s touted his support of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church independent of Moscow, his investment in the military and his promotion of the Ukrainian language over Russian, which is also widely spoken in Ukraine.But many voters aren’t buying it.
Alina Boyko, a 26-year-old cafe owner in Kiev, said fatigue with the war was one reason she would likely vote for Zelensky. Zelensky’s character takes on Ukraine’s oligarchs and vested interests — and the candidate has promised to do the same in real life. The synergy is such that his real-life campaign videos include clips from “Servant of the People.”
Tymoshenko, who earned her fortune in the country’s energy sector , has twice served as prime minister and twice ran for president. In 2011, she was jailed on charges — widely seen as politically motivated — for abuse of power while prime minister. She was released after the revolution in February 2014.
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