Ukraine: a comedian acting as president is now … president

KIEV.- Comedian and newcomer in politics, Volodimir Zelenski won today a crushing victory in the presidential election of

Ukraine

in front of outgoing President Petro Poroshenko, reflecting the mistrust of the power of the voters of this country in military tension with Russia.

"I will never let you down," Zelenski promised from his campaign command, where he quickly appeared to thank his supporters. Then, addressing the neighboring countries, he added: "Although I am not yet officially president, as a citizen of Ukraine, I can say to all post-Soviet countries: Look- us! Everything is possible! "

The elected president is of Jewish origin. Ukraine will thus become the first country, apart from Israel, to have a Jewish president and prime minister.

Poroshenko, 53, admitted the defeat in a speech at the headquarters of his campaign. He said the results were "clear" and added that he would leave office but that he would not give up politics.

The 41-year-old comedian got 73.2% of the votes in the second round of the presidential election, compared to 25.3% for his rival, out of 53, according to a survey conducted at the exit of polling stations by the consortium "Exit Poll". National ", which brings together three institutes.

Zelenski is taxed after four months of an unusual campaign mainly on social networks.

The official results will be published by the Electoral Commission which, on a part-time basis, estimated voter turnout at 45%.

Five years after a pro-Western revolution Maidan, repressed in blood, the Ukrainians have again decided to reverse the role of the council, but this time in calm and respect for democratic standards.

Zelenski, who has promised to "break the system" without moving away from the pro-Western course, demonstrates Ukrainians' mistrust of their ruling clbad. His election is a new episode in the global wave of rejection against ruling elites.

Poroshenko has paid for corruption scandals ongoing since independence in 1991, the economic difficulties of one of the poorest countries in Europe and its inability to end the conflict with Russia.

When Poroshenko came to power, it was followed by the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia and a war that killed 13,000 people in five years in the east of the country.

Ukraine is a country dependent on international aid and Russian energy. The new president will have to negotiate with Vladimir Putin and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

For his part, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, called on Friday the candidates to "emphasize their support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and reaffirmed the commitment of Washington to "work with those whom the Ukrainian people choose., Whoever it is."

For his part, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said yesterday that he hoped that after the elections, Kiev would respect the 2015 Minsk peace agreement, which had significantly reduced the level of violence in the conflict zone.

With the exception of the promise of maintaining a pro-Western stance, Zelenski's program is unclear, although he has been trying in recent days to strengthen his credibility with specialist advisers.

But its room for maneuver is very small because it has no parliamentary majority and parliamentary elections are scheduled for 27 October.

Zelenskiy won Poroshenko twice in the first round three weeks ago. While his character on television, a professor who arrives at the presidency after a video in which he attacks corruption becomes viral, the comedian has focused on criticizing the culture of bribes, taking advantage of the mistrust of the population towards the elite the country's politics.

"I grew up with the old politicians and I saw only empty promises, lies and corruption," said Lyudmila Potrebko, a 22-year-old computer scientist who voted for Zelenskiy. "It's time to change that."

Before taking office, Poroshenko, who was previously a billionaire in the candy industry, resorted to the traditional campaign in rural areas, taking advantage of affinity television channels to make a wide coverage of his appearances. Zelenskiy, on the other hand, largely avoided campaign actions and interviews. He directed his campaign mainly on Instagram, where he has 3.7 million followers.

AFP and AP agencies