Zelenskiy Fined For Showing Marked Ballot In Ukrainian Presidential Vote
Ukrainian presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskiy was fined for showing the public his marked ballot. Police fined Zelenskiy on April 21 after he cast his ballot in the second round of the Ukrainian presidential vote. In an effort to maintain anonymity in the electoral process, Ukraine has a rule that considers it a minor offense to publicly display a marked ballot. The cost of the fine was estimated to be about $30.
Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, spoke to Current Time. Here's a summary of his thoughts:
The Kremlin’s view of Zelenskiy is far from positive. They are in a waiting mode to see Zelenskiy’s moves. His only window with Russia at the moment is his approach towards a POW swap and conflict management. Later will come later.
Zelenskiy’s future is that of a narrow balancing space. Fast results and high expectations are always dangerous. His future depends upon his ability to actually make a reboot – see how Macron fared or how Pashinian is doing where results are so far scarce after a huge tectonic shift.
Zelenskiy is not a populist. He is a politician of the postpopulist era. He follows the footsteps of Slovakia where a president of a completely new fashion and format emerged – no more gloomy old men.
The latest from RFE/RL's News Desk:
KYIV -- Television comic and political newcomer Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accepted President Petro Poroshenko's concession and seems on course to become Ukraine's next president with the vote tally barely under way but exit polls pointing to a landslide.
"I want to say that I am very grateful to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who just congratulated me on my victory," Zelensky said at a press conference shortly after polls closed in the April 21 runoff. "I thank him. He said that I can count on his help at any time. He acknowledged my victory and my team's."
Poroshenko conceded the election soon after an early National Exit Poll result showed Zelenskiy winning with around 73 percent of the vote to Poroshenko's 25 percent.
Later, with just under 3 percent of the ballots counted, the Central Election Commission said Zelenskiy had 72.05 percent of the vote and Poroshenko had 25.62 percent.
Turnout for the two-man second round was said to have been a little over 62 percent.
Zelenskiy has described his candidacy as "a simple man who has come to destroy this system," in a reference to public perceptions that Ukraine's politics and society are mired in corruption and nepotism against the backdrop of a draining five-year war against Russia-backed separatists.
Zelenskiy said he intends to bring "new people" into Ukrainian politics, adding that he would turn to Poroshenko for advice "if I need it." He said he would make personnel announcements "in the near future."
He said that his top priority as president would be to secure from Russia the release of all Ukrainian prisoners of war and other prisoners and pledged to "reboot" the Minsk process for resolving the conflict in parts of eastern Ukraine.
"Our first task is the liberation of our prisoners," he said. "I will do everything to get our boys home. All our prisoners, without exception."
You can track the Ukrainian Central Election Commission's vote tally in real time here.
Zelenskiy Promises Ukrainians 'I Will Never Let You Down'
Ukrainian presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked voters and promised he would never let them down after exit polls showed he was set to win a landslide victory in the April 21 presidential runoff vote against incumbent Petro Poroshenko.
A few quotes from Zelenskiy's press conference following the vote and Poroshenko's concession:
"In any case, we will act in the Normandy format, we will continue the Minsk process. We will reboot it. I think that we will have personnel replacements."
"For us now, the task No. 1 is to return all our prisoners [detained in Russia], all our prisoners of war. This is our task No. 1. Our sailors."
"It is my duty to defend the Ukrainian language. It is my duty. I must protect the Ukrainian language as a guarantor and I will do it."
"[Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Yuriy] Lutsenko is an old team. We will appoint new people, new people. And this applies not only to Mr. Lutsenko."