Ukrainians elected Petro Poroshenko to be their fifth president in a vote that was dubbed "the second independence referendum."
Poroshenko won his presidency in the first round, according to two exit polls. The poll conducted by four TV channels showed that he received 57.8 percent of the vote. His main rival, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko received 12.8 of the vote.
The turnout was expected to be around 60 percent nationwide and much higher in western parts of the country where 52 percent voted by 4 p.m., according to OPORA, the biggest election watchdog. There were fears that many will not be able to vote at all because of long queues.
Andriy Magera, deputy head of the Central Election Commission, advised people to get inside polling stations by 8 p.m. to make sure that its officials are obliged to give people ballots.
People waited in long queues for hours in crowded polling stations, especially in Kyiv and other cities where mayoral and local elections were held on the same day. Because of the whopper turnout, the vote was dubbed “the second referendum for independence” by users of social networks in Ukraine as people proudly posted selfies of themselves voting in national clothes.
Eastern Ukrainian regions Luhansk and Donetsk made a sharp contrast with the rest of the country. Most polling stations failed to open for the vote because of intimidation and attacks by separatist gangs who pledged they would not allow a national election in that part of the country, where two independent republics were proclaimed earlier this month.
In the town of Novoaidar in Luhansk region at least one man was killed in a shootout outside of a polling station which opened in the morning, and then was stormed by the separatists.
By 3 p.m. turnout in Luhansk region was 17 percent by 3 p.m., while in Donetsk it was 10 percent, according to the Central Election Commission. There was no vote in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March.
In eastern Ukraine, many feared to go to the polls even in towns where the central government managed to organize the election. Those who braved it, said they were voting for peace.“I’m sure this will help to establish peace and stability here,” said Maria Andriyivna, 60, after casting her ballot in Svatovo, the stronghold of Ukrainian army in Luhansk region. She was afraid to give her last name.
Head of the Central Election Commission Mykhailo Okhendovskiy said that his commission received many letters from east of Ukraine, in which people requested to count their vote in for a candidate of their choice. “We would be pleased to do it if the law allowed,” he said at a briefing on May 25.
Poroshenko, who voted in Kyiv along with his family, pledged to address the problems of Donetsk region as soon as he comes to power.
“The first thing we will do is the direct dialog with residents of Donbass,” Poroshenko said after casting his ballot. He also pledged to fight corruption regardless of ranks and affiliations, “whether it covers opponents or allies.”
