MOSCOW, March 29. /TASS/. Ukraine on March 31, 2019 will be holding its seventh presidential election, with 39 candidates running for the highest post (a record-high number since 1991). TASS FACTBOX takes a look some figures and facts about the previous campaigns.
Ukraine’s first presidential election took place on December 1, 1991 simultaneously with a referendum on the country’s independence. Six candidates participated in the race. The speaker of Ukraine’s legislature Supreme Soviet, Leonid Kravchuk emerged the winner with 61.59% of the votes (an all-time record-high). The runner-up, leader of the Popular Rukh movement, Vyacheslav Chernovol, received 23.27%. The turnout set a record unbeaten to this day - 84%.
In 1994, Ukraine’s new parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, called an early election "in connection with an aggravation of the political and economic situation in the country." Seven candidates participated in the first round on June 26. The turnout was high again, about 70%. None of the contenders managed to get enough votes for victory (more than 50%). The incumbent president, Leonid Kravchuk and parliament member Leonid Kuchma (in 1992-1993 Ukraine’s prime minister) entered the runoff with 38.36% and 31.17% of the votes respectively. In the second round on July 10 Kuchma gained the upper hand with 52.58%. Kravchuk fell behind with 45.06% of the votes; 71.6% of Ukrainians eligible to vote cast their ballots.
In 1999, Ukraine’s president was elected in two rounds, too - on October 31 and November 14. Thirteen candidates participated in the first round. The turnout was 70.15%. The frontrunner, Leonid Kuchma, received 36.49% of the votes and Ukrainian Communist Party leader Pyotr Simonenko, 22.24%. On November 14, Kuchma was elected for a second term (56.25%). Simonenko lost with 37.8%. The second round saw a 74.87% turnout.
In 2004, 24 candidates clashed for the presidency. The leader of the opposition bloc Our Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko (39.9%) and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich (39.26%) were the front-runners after the first round on October 31. The turnout was 74.54%. After the second round on November 21 the Central Election Commission proclaimed Viktor Yanukovich the winner with (49.46%), while Yushchenko, according to the CEC, raked 46.61%. The turnout was 81.12%. The opposition refused to recognize the results and staged protest demonstrations that developed into a so-called "orange revolution." The protesters managed to force the Supreme Court to declare the election rigged and the returns, void. On December 26, there was a rerun of the second round. Viktor Yushchenko received 51.99% and Yanukovich, 44.2%, with the turnout standing at 77.28%.
The 2010 election was held in two rounds, with 18 candidates contesting the presidency. In the first round on January 17 67.23% of the voters took part. The leader of the Party of Regions Viktor Yanukovich was first with 35.32%, and Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko, second with 25.05%. In the runoff on February 7 Yanukovich gained the upper hand with 48.95% of the votes. Timoshenko received 45.47%. The turnout was 69.7%.
In 2014, Ukraine saw a government coup. Viktor Yanukovich was ousted from power. The Ukrainian parliament called an early election on May 25, 2014. Originally, 21 candidates were included in the list of candidates. Four decided to quit shortly before the polling day. One of the opposition leaders, businessman Pyotr Poroshenko gained victory in the first round on May 25, 2014, getting support from 54.7% of the voters. Former prime minister, leader of the Batkivshchina party Yulia Timoshenko fell way behind with 12.82%. The turnout was 59.48%.