• Friday, 02 August 2024
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Poroshenko 'wins Ukraine election'

Poroshenko 'wins Ukraine election'
Confectionary tycoon Petro Poroshenko has won an outright victory in Ukraine's presidential election, exit polls indicate.

They suggest the businessman - known as the "chocolate king" - won more than 55% of votes in Sunday's first round.

They also suggest ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko came a distant second. Eighteen candidates were on the ballot, seen as a crucial to unite the country.

However pro-Russian separatists severely disrupted voting in the east.

No polling stations were open in Donetsk city, and across the region only seven out of 12 district electoral commissions were operating. The separatists are in control of large areas of the Donestk and Luhansk regions.

Ukrainian officials say turnout was high in the rest of the country.

As he voted in Kiev on Sunday, Mr Poroshenko, 48, told reporters: "I am convinced that this election must finally bring peace to Ukraine... stop chaos, stop bandit terror in the east."

The exit poll results, if confirmed, mean there will be no need for a run-off vote next month.

The presidential elections were called after President Viktor Yanukovych was deposed in February amid mass protests against his pro-Russian policies.

On Friday Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would respect the outcome and was prepared to work with whomever was elected president.

Kiev and the West accuse Russia of stoking separatist sentiment - a claim President Putin denies.

BBC
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