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Ukraine may hold early parliamentary elections in mid-July - report

July 14, 2019 will be named as the date of holding early elections, the UNN news agency reported

© Mikhail Markiv/Press service of the Ukrainian President/TASS

KIEV, May 19. /TASS/. Ukraine’s early elections to the parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, may be held on July 14, the UNN news agency reported citing its source on Sunday.

"Most probably, July 14, 2019 will be named as the date of holding early elections to the Verkhovna Rada," the report said.

According to the source, setting the date of early parliamentary elections will be the next step after dissolving the parliament, which Vladimir Zelensky will announce shortly after being sworn in as president.

Zelensky’s team earlier dismissed the report on plans to dissolve the parliament, but his spokesman Dmitry Razumkov told reporters that the president would initiate this move.

Earlier, the Verkhovna Rada announced that Zelensky’s inauguration would take place at 10:00 am on May 20. Zelensky had insisted that he should be sworn in as president on May 19. Other proposed dates were May 17, May 26 and May 28.

Ukraine’s runoff presidential election was held on April 21. With 100% of the vote counted, showman Vladimir Zelensky, a candidate of the Servant of the People party, won by a landslide with 73.22% of the vote (more than 13.5 mln people backed him). Incumbent Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko, who has ruled the country for five years, garnered 24.45%.

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