KIEV, May 26 (RIA Novosti) – With just over 70 percent of ballots counted, billionaire Petro Poroshenko has retained his lead in the Ukrainian presidential race, taking 53.75 percent of the vote, Ukraine’s Central Election Commission said Monday.
His closest rival, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, trailed behind with 13.1 percent. The leader of Ukraine’s Radical Party of Ukraine Oleh Lyashko was in third at 8.5 percent.
People’s deputy Anatoly Grytsenko took 5.4 percent, self-nominated Serhyi Tihipko scored 5.3 percent of the votes and Mykhailo Dobkin of the Party of Regions got 3.4 percent, the Central Election Commission said.
The May 25 early presidential vote came amid a large-scale military operation launched by the new Kiev authorities to crack down on protesters refusing to recognize the legitimacy of the government.
A total of 23 candidates were registered to take part in the vote, but several others later announced their decision to withdraw, bringing the number to 21.
