Ukrainian showman and comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy, 40, has announced that he will run for president of Ukraine in the election set to be held on March 31, 2019.
Zelenskiy announced his candidacy on Dec. 31, during a concert of the Kvartal 95 comedy program, which was aired on Ukrainian television channel 1+1. The comedian broke the news to the Ukrainian public at midnight, instead of the traditional annual New Year address of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, whose speech was shown on 1+1 later than on other Ukrainian channels and was shortened. In March, Poroshenko will be competing for a second term as president.
One of Ukraine’s top comedic actors, Zelenskiy is known both as the creator and director of Kvartal 95 and for playing the Ukrainian president in the comedy series Servant of the People.
That fame has also spilled over into political support. According to a poll by the Seetarget sociological research company carried out on Dec. 1- 6, Zelenskiy is the second best performing candidate in the presidential race, with 9 percent support.
By Seetarget’s measures, Zelenskiy would beat incumbent Poroshenko, who would receive 8.6 percent of the vote and take third place. He could also be a serious challenger to the frontrunner, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymosheko, who would receive 12.7 percent of the vote.
According to the poll, 30 percent of Ukrainians have not decided for whom they will vote in the election and 5 percent say they will not vote at all.
Ukrainian showman and comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy announces on Dec. 31
that he will run for President of Ukraine in the election set to be held on March 31, 2019.
The presidential campaign officially began on Dec. 31. However, most candidates have already been on the campaign trail unofficially.
