Ukraine’s pro-Western election result was ‘mission accomplished’ for President Petro Poroshenko but the government in Kyiv will still have to deal with the ongoing conflict in the east that has left more that 3,700 people dead.
“I am satisfied because I voted for Poroshenko’s party,” said 60-year-old Kyiv resident Oleksandr Kutsenko.
“I believe in his direction, in his achievements. He does everything for people. That is why I really appreciate it.”
But student Maria Svitelska from the Kyiv region was less satisfied, complaining about a lack of choice of candidates and saying that it is only logical that the President’s party was successful.
With no voting in rebel-held areas like the city of Donetsk, Ukrainians there had a different perspective on the poll, some expressing hopes that it would finally bring peace.
“My personal opinion is that the Kyiv government should stop fighting and start building a strong Ukraine, so that the Luhansk and Donetsk regions will want to come back to the new independent Ukraine,” said Donetsk resident Sergey Troyanovskiy.
But with fresh fighting reported after the poll, peace seems a long way off. And having ignored the Ukrainian election, separatists entrenched in Donetsk and Luhansk still plan
to go ahead with a rival vote on November 2 to further their calls for independence.
