Comedian leads new poll in Ukraine presidential election

Reuters
FILE PHOTO: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukrainian actor and candidate in the upcoming presidential election, argues with his opponents, who stage a protest prior to Zelenskiy's concert in Lviv, Ukraine February 8, 2019. REUTERS/Mykola Tys

KIEV (Reuters) - Comic actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy is the frontrunner in Ukraine's presidential election, according to the latest opinion poll published on Wednesday. A survey, conducted by the Kiev-based Razumkov Center, showed the 41-year-old Zelenskiy, a political novice, was ahead of current President Petro Poroshenko and opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko. The center said it had interviewed 2016 voters in all regions, except in annexed Crimea, from Feb. 7 to Feb 14. The election takes place on March 31, where 44 candidates are set to compete. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Matthias Williams and Alison Williams)