KIEV, March 28. /TASS/. Comedian Vladimir Zelensky, nominated to run for president by the Servant of the People political party, continues to lead opinion polls ahead of the first round of the Ukrainian presidential election, scheduled to take place on March 31, shows a poll conducted by Ukraine’s Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation and the Kiev International Institute of Sociology.

Zelensky is followed by incumbent President Pyotr Poroshenko and leader of the Batkivshchina (or Fatherland) party Yulia Timoshenko.

"If the election was held today, Zelensky would receive about 28% of the vote, Poroshenko would gain 18% and Timoshenko would garner 13%," said Vladimir Paniotto, the Director of the Kiev International Institute of Sociology.

According to Ukraine’s election laws, Thursday is the last day when opinion polls related to the election campaign can be published.