Ukraine election: The president vs. guy who plays one on TV
Apr 18, 2019 | 8:42 AM
KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s presidential runoff Sunday is a battle between a billionaire tycoon who rode anti-Russian protests to the nation’s top office five years ago and a comedian who plays a president in a TV sitcom. Improbably, the actor appears poised to win.
Comic actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s commanding lead in the polls reflects widespread disillusionment with President Petro Poroshenko and Ukraine’s old political elite, as well as a seething anger against rampant corruption and a lack of opportunity that have left many in endemic poverty.
It also reflects a campaign that has effectively used humour and social media to reach voters.
