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Poroshenko tosses hat into Ukrainian presidential race

The presidential election will be held on March 31

Ukraine’s president Pyotr Poroshenko AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Ukraine’s president Pyotr Poroshenko

© AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

KIEV, January 29. /TASS/. Ukraine’s incumbent President Pyotr Poroshenko has announced that he is throwing his hat into the ring for the next presidential election, scheduled to be held on March 31.

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"I have decided to run in the election once again," he said, addressing a forum dubbed "From Kruty to Brussels. We Follow Our Own Path," taking place at the International Exhibition Center in the country’s capital of Kiev.

"I would like to ask voters for a mandate to ensure the irreversibility of the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration, and our independence, as well as to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity, bring back peace, complete the construction of a strong state capable of providing prosperity to every Ukrainian," Poroshenko said.

The sitting president is going to take part in the election as a self-nominated candidate. Experts say he decided against being nominated by the Pyotr Poroshenko Bloc because of the party’s low approval rating and a number of scandals involving people from his immediate circle.

Prior to Poroshenko's bid, 41 people announced plans to run the Ukrainian presidential election, 22 of whom have already been registered by the country’s Central Election Commission.

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