Ukrainian comedian Volodymyr Zelensky won a victory against his rival Petro Poroshenko in the second round of the presidential elections, according to the exit polls.

THE OFFICIAL RESULTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY MAY 1

According to the National Exit Poll, Zelensky candidate of the Servant of the People Party secured 73.2% of the votes, whereas Poroshenko got 25.3%. The poll announced that the turnout was at 62%.

Following the announcement of the unofficial results, Zelensky thanked the Ukranians for their support. "We have done it together," he was quoted as saying by Ukrinform news agency.

Poroshenko who congratulated the new president-elect admitted that the results were clear. However, defeated Poroshenko also signaled that he will not retire from politics in a speech at his campaign headquarters.

After the first poll results on March 31, no candidate surpassed the 50-percent threshold, paving way for a second round in the presidential elections. </s> KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — The Latest on Ukraine’s presidential election (all times local): 4:35 p.m. Election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have hailed Ukraine’s presidential election as competitive and free…

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — The Latest on Ukraine’s presidential election (all times local):

Election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have hailed Ukraine’s presidential election as competitive and free overall.

The OSCE observation mission said in a statement that voters “had a broad choice” at the polls and that the candidates “could campaign freely.” The observers said they have a positive assessment of the election day and expect it to be the case at the impending runoff.

Preliminary results show comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy winning the first round with more than 30 percent of the vote while the incumbent President Petro Poroshenko trails behind. The two are expected to face off in the second round of voting on April 21.

Early results in Ukraine’s presidential election show a comedian with no political experience maintaining his strong lead against the incumbent president in the first round, setting the stage for a runoff in three weeks.

With just over half of the polling stations counted Monday, Volodomyr Zelenskiy had 30.2 percent of the vote, while incumbent President Petro Poroshenko was a distant second with about 16.6 percent. Ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko trailed behind with 13 percent. The results were in sync with a top exit poll.

The strong showing of Zelenskiy reflects the public longing for a fresh leader who has no links to the corruption-ridden Ukrainian political elite and can offer a new approach to settling the grinding conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed. </s> KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — The Latest on Ukraine's presidential election (all times local):

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says his apparent poor performance in the country's presidential election is sobering.

Most exit polls show Poroshenko trailing in second place behind comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy with support of 20 percent or less. That would be enough to put him into a runoff with Zelenskiy on April 21.

Poroshenko has said at a news conference after the polls closed that "I don't feel any kind of euphoria. I critically and soberly understand the signal that society gave today to the acting authorities."

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the comedian whom exit polls show leading Ukraine's presidential election, says he has made a major step toward victory.

Exit polls indicated Zelenskiy would get about 30 percent of the vote, far short of the absolute majority needed to win the first round. Most exit polls said incumbent Petro Poroshenko received the second-biggest support, which would put him and Zelenskiy in a runoff on April 21.

Zelenskiy told journalists after the polls closed that "this is only the first step toward a great victory."

He denied that his campaign would coordinate with the forces of any of the other 37 candidates on the first-round ballot.

He said that "we are young people. We don't want to see all of the past in our future."

Ukrainian presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko is disputing several exit polls that showed her failing to get enough support in Sunday's election to qualify for a runoff.

Several exit polls showed comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy and incumbent Petro Poroshenko as the top two vote-getters. The polls indicated Zelenskiy would get about 30 percent of the votes, ahead of Poroshenko but far away from the 50 percent needed to win in the first round.

However, Tymoshenko's campaign staff said its own exit polling showed her handily in second place.

At a news conference after the polls closed, Tymoshenko called on her supporters to head to polling stations to ensure an honest count.

An exit poll shows comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the lead in Ukraine's presidential election but his support is well short of the majority needed to win in the first round.

The exit poll released Sunday after voting stations closed indicated that Zelenskiy received about 30.4 percent of the nationwide vote, followed by incumbent President Petro Poroshenko with 17.8 percent and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko with 14.2 percent support.

The poll conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology and the Razumkov Center public opinion organization was based on nearly 18,000 responses to questioning at some 400 polling places as of 6 p.m., two hours before the polls closed. The poll claims a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

A runoff between the top two candidates in the race will take place on April 21.

Ukrainian police say they have received more than 1,600 complaints about electoral violations in the presidential election.

A statement Sunday by Ukraine's Interior Ministry on Facebook said the complaints had been received by 6 p.m., two hours before polling stations were to close.

It said the reported violations included unauthorized campaigning at polling stations, attempts to bribe voters and removal of ballots.

Opinion polls have shown Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who stars in a TV sitcom about a teacher who becomes president after a video of him denouncing corruption goes viral, leading a field of 39 candidates in the presidential race.

The polls also had Zelenskiy outpacing incumbent President Petro Poroshenko and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the other top candidates, by a broad margin

Ukrainian citizens living in Poland are lining up to vote in their country's presidential election.

It is the first Ukrainian election since the arrival in recent years of large numbers of Ukrainian workers and students seeking higher wages and better opportunities in the neighboring European Union country.

People lined up at the embassy in Warsaw and at three other consular points across Poland on Sunday and cast their ballots, choosing from a field of 39 candidates.

Igor Isajew, editor of a news portal for Ukrainians in Poland, PROstir.pl, said that many other Ukrainians in Poland remain unable to vote because they live too far from the polling stations.

While there are no opinion polls tapping into the views of Ukrainians in Poland, Isajew sees signs that a higher percentage of Ukrainians in Poland than in Ukraine favor incumbent Petro Poroshenko due to his pro-European credentials, despite corruption allegations.

Voters in Ukraine are casting ballots in a presidential election after a campaign that produced a comedian with no political experience as the front-runner and allegations of voter bribery.

Opinion polls have shown Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who stars in a TV sitcom about a teacher who becomes president after a video of him denouncing corruption goes viral, leading a field of 39 candidates. The polls also had Zelenskiy outpacing incumbent President Petro Poroshenko and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the other top candidates, by a broad margin.

Voter Tatiana Zinchenko, 30, cast her ballot for the comedian. She says "Zelenskiy has shown us on the screen what a real president should be like."

If no candidate secures an absolute majority of Sunday's vote, a runoff between the two top finishers would be held April 21.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Ukraine's election commission has released the final results of the March 31 presidential vote, giving political newcomer Volodymyr Zelenskyy just over 30 percent of the vote.

With no candidate getting 50 percent, Zelenskyy will meet incumbent Petro Poroshenko on April 21 in a runoff.

The Central Election Commission announced on April 4 that Zelenskyy secured 30.24 percent of vote while Poroshenko received 15.95 percent. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko came in third with 13.40 percent.

The commission said 18.9 million eligible voters took part in the election. Turnout was 62.8 percent.

International observers said on April 1 that the election was "well administered" and "competitive."

The election came as the country struggles with a war against Russia-backed separatists, Moscow's seizure of a key chunk of its territory, a sluggish economy, and rampant corruption. </s> Ukraine’s chief elections commission says nearly 64 percent of the nation’s registered voters participate in the presidential elections.

Only fragmentary results in the election had been reported three hours after the polls closed. Total preliminary results are anticipated to be declared on Monday morning.

No voting has been held at the parts of eastern Ukraine under the hands of Russia-backed separatist rebels or in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia at 2014.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko claims his obvious poor operation in the country’s presidential election is sobering.

Most exit polls show Poroshenko trailing in second position behind comic Volodymyr Zelenskiy with assistance of 20 percent or less. That might be enough to place him into a runoff using Zelenskiy on April 21.

Poroshenko has said at a news conference after the polls closed that”I do not feel any kind of euphoria. I critically and soberly understand the signal that society gave today to the acting authorities.”

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the comic whom exit polls reveal major Ukraine’s presidential election, says he has made a major step toward success.

Exit polls suggested Zelenskiy would get about 30% of their vote, far short of the absolute majority required to win the first round. Most exit polls stated incumbent Petro Poroshenko obtained the second-biggest service, which could put him Zelenskiy at a runoff on April 21.

He denied that his campaign would coordinate with the forces of any of the additional 37 candidates in the first-round ballot.

He said that”we’re young people. We do not want to see all of the past in our future.”

Democratic presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko is disputing several exit polls that revealed her failing to get sufficient support in Sunday’s election to be eligible for a runoff.

Several exit polls revealed comic Volodymyr Zelenskiy and incumbent Petro Poroshenko as the top two vote-getters. The polls indicated Zelenskiy would get about 30 percent of their votes, ahead of Poroshenko but far away from the 50 percent required to win in the very first round.

However, Tymoshenko’s campaign staff said its exit polling revealed her conveniently in 2nd location.

An exit poll shows comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the lead in Ukraine’s presidential elections but his service is well aware of the majority required to acquire in the first round.

The exit survey published Sunday after voting stations closed indicated that Zelenskiy obtained about 30.4% of the nationwide vote, followed closely by incumbent President Petro Poroshenko with 17.8 percent and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko with 14.2% support.

The poll conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology and the Razumkov Center public opinion organization relies on almost 18,000 answers to questioning at several 400 polling areas as of 6 p.m., two weeks before the polls closed.

A runoff between the top two candidates in the race will occur on April 21.

Ukrainian police say they have received over 1,600 complaints about electoral offenses in the presidential elections.

A statement Sunday by Ukraine’s Interior Ministry on Facebook explained the complaints had been received by 6 p.m., two hours before polling stations were to close.

It stated the reported violations included unauthorized campaigning at polling stationsand attempts to cover Republicans and elimination of ballots.

Opinion surveys show Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who stars in a TV sitcom about a teacher that becomes president following a video of him denouncing corruption moves viral, leading a field of 39 candidates in the presidential race.

The polls also had Zelenskiy outpacing incumbent President Petro Poroshenko and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the other top candidates, by a broad margin

Ukrainian citizens living in Poland are lining up to vote in their country’s presidential election.

It’s the first Ukrainian election because the arrival in recent years of large numbers of Ukrainian workers and students looking for higher salaries and better chances in the neighboring European Union nation.

People lined up at the embassy in Warsaw and at three additional consular points across Poland on Sunday and cast their ballots, choosing in the field of 39 applicants.

Igor Isajew, editor of a news portal for Ukrainians from Poland, PROstir.pl, stated that many other Ukrainians in Poland remain unable to vote simply because they live too far from the polling stations.

When there aren’t any opinion polls tapping into the perspectives of Ukrainians in Poland, Isajew sees evidence that a higher percentage of Ukrainians in Poland than in Ukraine favor incumbent Petro Poroshenko due to his pro-European credentials, despite corruption allegations.

Founded in Ukraine are casting ballots in a presidential elections after a campaign that generated a comic without political experience because the front-runner along with allegations of voter bribery.

Opinion polls show Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who stars in a TV sitcom about a teacher that becomes president following a movie of him denouncing corruption moves viral, leading an area of 39 applicants. The surveys also had Zelenskiy outpacing incumbent President Petro Poroshenko and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, another leading candidates, by a wide margin.

Voter Tatiana Zinchenko, 30, cast her ballot for the comedian. She states”Zelenskiy has shown us around the display what a real president must be similar to.”

If a candidate secures an absolute majority of Sunday’s vote, a runoff between the two top finishers would be held April 21. </s> Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy heading for victory in first round of Ukrainian election

Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy heading for victory in first round of Ukrainian election

Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy is heading for victory in the first round of the Ukrainian election

A comedian looks set to win the first round of voting in Ukraine's presidential election.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, 41, who plays a fictional TV president, had 30.4% after votes, after nearly 70% of the country's polling stations were counted.

The current president, Petro Poroshenko, was trailing in second with just over 16% and Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister, was third on 13%.

With none of the candidates likely to secure more than half of the votes, the election is likely to go to a second round on 21 April, where Ukrainians will choose between the top two candidates.

"This is only the first step toward a great victory," Mr Zelenskiy said.

Full results are expected to be announced later on Monday.

The three were among 39 candidates in a country that faces issues including widespread corruption, a faltering economy and a seemingly endless war with Russian-backed separatists in the country's east.

Ukraine is also subject to a bailout programme run by the International Monetary Fund, and investors will want to know that any new president will continue reforms required to keep this on track.

Mr Zelenskiy, 41, is new to politics but found fame on TV playing a teacher who becomes president after a video of him denouncing corruption goes viral.

During his presidential campaign, Mr Zelenskiy said he wanted to develop the economy and attract investment through "a restart of the judicial system".

He also proposed a tax amnesty and a 5% flat tax for big business which could be increased "in dialogue with them and if everyone will agree".

As he cast his own vote on Sunday, Mr Zelenskiy said: "A new life is beginning, a normal life, a life without corruption, without bribes - life in a new country, the country of our dreams."

Later, he denied he would join forces with any of the other candidates, saying: "We are young people - we don't want to see all of the past in our future."

However, the election's first round was marred by more than 1,600 complaints about unauthorised campaigning at polling stations, attempts to bribe voters and the removal of ballot papers.

Incumbent Mr Poroshenko insisted the elections were fair, adding that this was "a necessary condition for our movement forward, to Ukraine's return to the European family of nations".

Regarding the exit poll result, he said: "I critically and soberly understand the signal that society gave today to the acting authorities."

Ms Tymoshenko said the exit poll contradicted her own internal polling, which had her in second place, adding that she might contest the final result. </s> Ukrainian presidential frontrunner Volodymyr Zelensky's political experience had been limited to playing the president in a TV show (AFP Photo/Genya SAVILOV)

Kiev (AFP) - Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky is favourite to become Ukraine's president after results Monday showed him dominating a first-round vote despite many initially dismissing his candidacy as a joke.

The 41-year-old's political experience has been limited to playing the president in a TV show but he leapfrogged establishment candidates amid public frustration over corruption and a stalling economy.

Results published on April Fools' Day -- an irony not lost on Ukrainian social media -- showed Zelensky taking 30 percent in Sunday's first round, almost double the 16-percent vote share of incumbent Petro Poroshenko.

The two will meet in a run-off vote on April 21 after almost 93 percent of counted ballots showed ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and dozens of other candidates falling out of the race.

If Zelensky wins then, as polls and analysts suggest, he will take the reins of one of the poorest countries in Europe -- a nation of 45 million people fighting Russian-backed separatists in its industrial east.

"I want to thank all the Ukrainians who came out and voted in seriousness," the high-spirited actor told supporters after exit polls showed a better-than-expected result late Sunday.

Zelensky had topped opinion polls for weeks and the main question going into the weekend vote was who between Tymoshenko and Poroshenko would meet him in the second round.

But the size of his lead came as a surprise.

Poroshenko called the result a "harsh lesson" for him personally and for the authorities as a whole.

Tymoshenko, who came to international prominence as a face of the 2004 Orange Revolution and was taking her third tilt at the presidency, had denounced exit polls as "dishonest".

But a monitoring mission by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe said Monday that the vote had been in general "well-organized, smooth, transparent and efficient".

"Observers noted a few procedural errors and very few serious violations during the vote count," it said in a statement.

The European Union anticipated "a free, fair and transparent second round of the elections."

"It is important that all parties adhere to democratic principles, respecting the will of Ukrainian people and avoid provoking unnecessary tensions," an EU statement added.

Political analyst Anatoliy Oktysyuk of Kiev's Democracy House think tank said it would be "difficult" for Poroshenko to knock the comic off course in the head-to-head round.

"He (Poroshenko) has no room for growth. He has played all his cards," Oktysyuk told AFP.

"This is a protest against the old elites and a call for new faces."

Oktysyuk expects Poroshenko to frame the contest as part of a wider confrontation between Moscow and the West -- with himself the only one who could stand up to Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the first-round result but said Moscow hoped Ukrainians would not vote for a "party of war" -- a thinly-veiled reference to Poroshenko.

Poroshenko came to power in 2014 after a revolution forced his Kremlin-backed predecessor Viktor Yanukovych out of office.

The uprising was followed by Russia's annexation of Crimea and the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The 53-year-old leader -- a chocolate magnate who was one of the country's richest men when he took office -- said he would end the fighting, tackle graft and align the country with the West.

But five years on, the ongoing conflict has claimed 13,000 lives and many feel Poroshenko has failed to live up to the promise of the revolution.

Despite concerns about Zelensky's vague platform, supporters insist only a total outsider can clean up Ukraine's murky politics.

"A real democracy is when the result of the vote is a surprise. Congratulations -- Ukraine is not Russia, Ukraine is Europe," Kiev businessman and lecturer Valery Pekar wrote on Facebook.

Some accuse Zelensky of acting as a front for the interests of oligarch Igor Kolomoysky, who owns the channel that broadcasts the entertainer's shows, but the actor denies any political links.

He eschewed traditional rallies and interviews in favour of playing gigs with his comedy troupe up to the final days of campaigning.

The political comedy "Servant of the People" he stars in returned for its third season last week. </s> A total of 30.22% of voters supported presidential candidate / actor / TV presenter, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, 15.92% incumbent president, Petro Poroshenko, and 13.39% - Chairperson of the Batkivschyna All-Ukrainian Association party, Yuliya Tymoshenko, after 99.07% of e-reports on voting results counted.

This follows from the data posted on the website of the Central Election Commission, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

At the same time, 11.68% of voters supported Co-Chair of the Opposition Platform - For Life parliamentary interfactional association, Yurii Boiko.

6.03% - Presidential candidate / former chairperson of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU; 2003-2005), Ihor Smeshko.

5.48% - Chairperson of the Radical Party faction at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Oleh Liashko.

1.63% - former chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Koshulynskyi

The other candidates received less than 1% of votes.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the turnout of voters at the presidential election on March 31 was 63.52%.

Officially, the voting results must be set before April 10 inclusively.

If none of the candidates gain more than 50%, then the second round of election should be scheduled for April 21. </s> A comedian who has promised to wipe out corruption held a commanding lead after the first round of voting in Ukraine's presidential election, leaving the incumbent in a distant second.

With nearly 90 percent of the ballots counted by Monday afternoon, Volodymyr Zelensky, 41, had a 14 point lead on President Petro Poroshenko, beating all expectations.

Talking to cheering supporters after his lead became apparent on Sunday, Zelensky thanked Ukrainians for not casting their ballots "just for fun."

"This is only the first step toward a great victory," said Zelensky, who has never held political office.

The comedian, who led opinion polls throughout the campaign, has vowed to enact anti-corruption reforms and make Ukrainians "prosperous." He has also promised to end the war with pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country.

“You don’t need experience to be president, you just need to be a decent human being," was a mantra repeated by him and his aides.

Zelensky and Poroshenko looked set to clash in the run-off on April 21, when things could get heated, according to a Kiev-based political strategist, Olexiy Golobutskiy.

The race will likely become "much more rough" in this next stage of campaigning, Golobutskiy said. "It’s not easy to make up a gap of more than 10 percent."

Most opinion polls released before the election predicted that Zelensky would beat any candidate who faces him in the runoff.

Golobutskiy said Poroshenko and his team will have to dig deep to try to lure voters who gave their votes to the candidates who did not make it to the second round. There were originally 39 candidates on the ballot.

“Poroshenko’s campaign will also be faced with the task of demotivating the voters who voted for Zelensky," Golobutskiy said.

Zelensky's lack of political experience and vague policies have left many wondering how he would fare as president of a nation that has been at war since mass protests ousted a pro-Kremlin government in 2014.

Emily Ferris, a Russia research fellow at the London-based think tank Royal United Services Institute, said voters’ behavior can be unpredictable and many may opt out for continuity when faced with a choice between Poroshenko and "an unknown alternative" like Zelensky in the runoff.

Poroshenko, 53, has tried to convince voters with a militarist message. Casting himself as the man who can prevent Ukraine from becoming a Russian vassal state, he has also promoted the Ukrainian language and been instrumental in establishing a new independent Orthodox church.

But his inability to tackle rampant corruption and plummeting living standards had prompted many to consider alternatives.

Poroshenko called the result a "stern lesson," saying that he has heard loud and clear the "signal" sent by the voters on Sunday.

He then called Zelensky "a puppet of oligarch Igor Kolomoyskyi," and said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "dreams of a soft, meek, compliant, giggling, inexperienced and weak, ideologically amorphous and politically undecided president of Ukraine."

Balázs Jarábik, a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, predicted that Poroshenko will continue portraying Zelensky as someone who will cozy up to the Kremlin in the weeks to come.

Zelesnky had previously said that he was ready to negotiate directly with Putin if that meant ending the conflict in the east.

"Such a polarizing campaign, though, is one of the reasons why many Ukrainians support Zelensky," Jarábik added.

Despite some reports of irregularities, most experts and observers deemed Sunday's election transparent and fair, with over 63 percent turning up to vote — higher than after the 2014 protests that shook the country.

"Many Ukrainians felt that saying 'No' to the old system, represented by Poroshenko and Tymoshenko, is very important,” he said, referring to Yulia Tymoshenko, the nationalist former prime minister who placed third with 13.2 percent.

The result "is very good news for Ukraine's democracy," he added.
Volodymyr Zelensky wins the first round of Ukraine's presidential election with 30 percent of the vote, with President Petro Poroshenko coming in second with 15 percent of the vote. Since no candidate reached the required number of votes to achieve the office of the presidency, a runoff election between the two candidates will be held on April 21. Voter turnout was 63 percent.