2019 Ukrainian Presidential Elections: Key Candidates, Key Data

• 03.20.2019, 14:20
•  Europe,  World,  Info

РБК-Украина

March 31, 2019 will see the next presidential polls in Ukraine.

The Central Electoral Committee of Ukraine has green-lighted 39 candidates, of the initially registered 44 (the candidates could take their candidacy back by 7 March, and 5 of them did that), another 47 candidates were turned down. Total 91 contenders had applied.

2019 polls are record breaking with the number of candidates. The precedent was recorded in 2004 with 26 contenders.

Among the 39 contenders the choice has narrowed down to Petro Poroshenko, the incumbent president, Yulia Tymoshenko, ex-premier and the leader of Batkivshchyna (Fatherland), Volodymyr Zelenskiy, showman and comedian, Yuriy Boyko, a Ukrainian politician, former vice prime minister of Ukraine, and former minister of fuel and energy of Ukraine, Anatoliy Hrytsenko, a Ukrainian politician, former Minister of Defense and others.

Key Data 

• The number and gender proportion of candidates: 39 have registered, with 35 men and 4 women. A total of 91 had applied to the Central Electoral Committee.
• Age range: The average age of the candidates is 50. In the 35-45 age range are 12 candidates, in 45-60 – 20 and over 60 – 7 candidates.
• Partisan membership: 19 of the candidates were nominated by parties, 20 are self-nominees. Meanwhile 23 are partisan, 16 do not represent any political force.
• Occupation: 14 of the contenders are MPs, one is unemployed, occupation of another one is not mentioned.

Favorites  

According to the polls the choice has narrowed down to three favorites, Poroshenko, Tymoshenko and Zelenskiy.

Namely according to polls results conducted by Kiev International Institute of Sociology, if presidential elections were held mid February, Zelenskiy (14.1%), Tymoshenko (7.4%) and Poroshenko (9.6%)  would make it into the second round.

According to the results of Rating sociological group Zelensky enjoys the support of most of the voters who intend to vote (around 25.1%), the second place is shared by Poroshenko  (16.6%) and Tymoshenko (16.2%). The top five includes also Yuriy Boyko (11.3%) and Anatoliy Hrytsenko (7.7%).

According to the same polls Zelensky enjoys relatively stronger electoral backing among the voters of the south and east of the country, he also tops the rating lists of urban voters.    Poroshenko leads the lists in the west, and Tymoshenko sharing the lead with Zelensky in the central parts.

The polls revealed that the youth believes in the Zelensky’s, and the elderly in Poroshenko’s and Tymoshenko’s victory.

It is noteworthy that according to the polls the incumbent president tops the anti-rating. Half the polls participant wouldn’t vote for Poroshenko.