Posted on 03/08/2019 4:14:28 PM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
Ukraine is holding presidential and parliamentary elections at the end of March and the race is too close to call.
Ukraine is a country sandwiched between Russia and Europe and is often tugged both ways by its neighbors. While Ukraine’s current government firmly sides with Europe and the West, Ukrainian politics and politicians can have deep ties to Russia, giving the vote a deeper geopolitical significance.
Opinion polls show the election is too close to call and, as it stands, incumbent President Petro Poroshenko could be usurped by an actor who once played the president of Ukraine in a hit TV show.
Volodymyr Zelensky: Politician, screenwriter and actor, Zelensky played the part of the Ukrainian president in a popular television show called “Servant of the People” in 2015. The production company that made the show created a political party of the same name in March 2018 and Zelensky was riding high in opinion polls before he even announced his candidacy on New Year’s Eve.
Petro Poroshenko: The current president and standing as an independent, there’s no guarantee he’ll win a second term in office.
Yulia Tymoshenko: The leader of the “Fatherland” party. She’s pro-Europe and is known for co-leading the “Orange Revolution” protests against corruption and electoral fraud in late 2004. The two-time prime minister has been the subject of various criminal investigations and was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011.
Experts say the election is a “three-horse race” between Poroshenko, Tymoshenko and Zelensky...
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
Ping.
It’s all about money.
There is no good choice.
I predict Corruption will win.
I get the feeling that the comedian may defuse some of the insane belligerence toward Russia. This is what Ukraine should be striving for.
In 2014 The people of Ukraine in national election elected the Pro Russian President by 55%. It was overthrown by a military Coup D Tat in 2014. Subsequent military puppets were installed. There was an election but only 20% of the polling places in pro socialist West districts were allowed to vote. Leading the charge on the Military Coup was John McCain and Hillary Clinton . Now there is a new election and the pro Russian candidate is leading. March 31. Watch this close. Most people are ignorant.
Zelenski is a person in class of Stephen Colbert and the very fact that he is polling ahead of any career politician is troubling and an indicator of deepest distrust of public to the whole political system. It wouldn’t be exagerration to say that the statehood itself is in question. Also it is clear that Zelenski is a puppet to whoever behind him.
“...the insane belligerence toward Russia. ...”
Pretty sure that “insane belligerence” is due to the fact that Stalinist Russia deliberately starved 25 MILLION Ukrainians to death.
They have long memories, deep loves, and even deeper hatreds.
I can vouch for it. Most of my ancestors came from there.
I’ll be in Lviv the first week of May. Should be interesting.
Good luck and God bless. Keep your head on a swivel, friend.
Zelensky is the best of three bad choices.
I doubt the people will actually vote for the comedian. They say so in the polls to blow off some steam and express their frustration, but on the election day they’ll hold their noses and vote for whoever of the two politicians they see as the lesser evil.
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