The Election of a Kleptocrat: Viktor Ianukovych and the Ukrainian Presidential Elections in 2010
Journal: East/West Journal of Ukrainian Studies
Year: 2019

In 2010, Viktor Ianukovych, a candidate whose democratic credentials were disputed and whose shady background hardly inspired feelings of admiration or trust, was elected president of Ukraine. By asking the voters themselves on the eve of the election how such an individual could have won their votes, this article shows that when Ukrainians went to vote in 2010, they evaluated the qualities and the policy-issues associated with Ianukovych higher than those ascribed to his opponent, Iuliia Tymosh