Ukrainian TV Comic Wins Presidency in Landslide, Exit Poll Shows
- Zelenskiy gets 73%, incumbent Poroshenko 25%, exit poll shows
- Voters vent anger at lack of progress since 2014 revolution
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Ukraine’s most-watched comedian won a landslide victory in Sunday’s presidential runoff as voters vented their frustration at the ex-Soviet republic’s lack of progress since a revolution five years ago.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a 41-year-old TV comic who’s tapped into fury at the political class, got 73.2 percent of ballots after almost 84 percent of votes were counted. Incumbent Petro Poroshenko, who conceded defeat after exit polls showed his loss, garnered 24.5 percent as of Monday morning. Zelenskiy’s triumph owes a lot to his newcomer status and comes despite a campaign that’s been heavy on style with only a sprinkling of policy proposals.