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Early returns today suggested candy tycoon Petro Poroshenko was elected president of Ukraine in the first round of balloting. In taking on the leadership of the bitterly divided country, he vowed to "put an end to war, chaos, crime, and bring peace to the Ukrainian land."
The 48-year-old billionaire, who claimed victory after exit polls showed him with a commanding lead in yesterday's vote, supports strong ties with Europe but also wants to mend ties with Russia.
He said his first steps as president would be to visit the Donbass eastern industrial region, where pro-Russia separatists have seized government buildings and battled government troops in weeks of fighting. Poroshenko also said the Kiev government would like to negotiate a new security treaty with Moscow.
Speaking to reporters today, Poroshenko struck a reconciliatory tone, saying he had no "rivals or political opponents in the race" and all of the other main candidates have congratulated him on his win.
"More than ever, Ukraine now needs to be united," he said.
The rebels had vowed to block the voting in the east, and less than 20 per cent of the polling stations were open there after gunmen intimidated local residents by smashing ballot boxes, shutting down polling centers and issuing threats.
Today some pro-Russians blocked off the road to the airport in Donetsk, a major eastern city, apparently causing delays to many flights.
But nationwide, about 60% of 35.5 million eligible voters turned out on Sunday, and long lines snaked around polling stations in the capital, Kiev.
With votes from 60% of precincts counted early Monday, Poroshenko was leading with about 54% in the field of 21 candidates. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was running a distant second with 13%.
Mykhaylo Okhendovsky, chairman of the Central Election Commission, said in a televised presser that the official results would be announced by June 5.
Both results were in line with the exit polls, which showed Poroshenko with nearly 56 per cent and Tymoshenko with 13 per cent. If that margin holds, Poroshenko would avoid a runoff election next month with the second-place finisher.
