Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 12 april 2019
Ukraine campaign heats up with new court, truck video

By YURAS KARMANAU campaign denied that it
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — was responsible for putting
Ukraine's president on Thurs- out the video and Ukrainian
day ordered the creation police said they launched
of a special anti-corruption a criminal investigation into
court in an apparent at- the incident.
tempt to catch up with his Poroshenko, 53, saw his
challenger, who has taken approval ratings plummet
a commanding lead in the amid Ukraine's economic
presidential runoff race. woes and a sharp plunge
A poll conducted by the in living standards amid a
Reiting survey group found conflict with Russia, which
comic actor Volodymyr annexed Ukraine's Crimea
Zelenskiy with 61% support Peninsula in 2014.
while President Petro Po- He has cast himself as a
roshenko had 24% ahead strong statesman capable
of a runoff set for April 21. of standing up to Russia,
The poll released Thursday claiming that Zelenskiy's
was based on answers from lack of political experience
3,000 respondents and had will make him an easy prey
a margin of error of 1.8 per- for the Kremlin. But even
centage points. though most of the world
The 41-year-old comic ac- has rejected Russia's an-
tor, who plays the role of nexation of Crimea, there
the nation's president in a are no signs that Ukraine
hugely popular TV sitcom, under any political leader
has never held political of- is getting the territory back.
fice. Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko speaks to the media after he past medical tests taken by Poroshenko also has been
Zelenskiy's popularity, how- experts from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) ahead of a runoff vote, at Kiev Olimpi- repeatedly accused of
ever, reflects public long- yskiy Stadium, in Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 10, 2019. turning a blind eye to cor-
ing for a fresh leader who Associated Press ruption. In addition, the
has no ties to Ukraine's cor- exposure of a military em-
ruption-ridden political elite left 13,000 people dead got just under 16%. ing a video in which Zelen- bezzlement scheme that
and can propose a new since 2014. Amid an increasingly heat- skiy is run over by a heavy allegedly involved top Po-
way to settle the grind- He easily beat Poroshenko ed campaign, Zelenskiy's truck. It said it perceives the roshenko associates as well
ing five-year conflict with in the first round on March office on Thursday ac- video as a clear threat that as a factory controlled by
Russia-backed separatists 31, garnering 30% of the cused Poroshenko's elec- warrants additional secu- the president has badly
in eastern Ukraine that has vote, while the incumbent tion headquarters of post- rity measures. Poroshenko's dented his popularity.q

Polish senator defends 'purging'

comment amid outrage

said Thursday he is sorry if
his words were taken the
wrong way and that it is
nonsense to think he plans
any purges.
Grzegorz Bierecki made his
controversial comments
Wednesday during a cer-
emony in his eastern Polish
constituency of Biala Pod-
laska on the ninth anniver-
sary of a plane crash that
killed the Polish president
and 95 others.
"We will not stop until we
have fully purged Poland
of people who are not wor-
thy of belonging to our na-
tional community," Bierecki
Polish Senator Grzegorz Bierecki talks to reporters in Warsaw, said. A clip of his words cir-
Poland, Thursday, April 11, 2019. culated on social media
Associated Press and drew condemnation.
Many of the critics of the rul-
By VANESSA GERA outrage by saying Poland ing Law and Justice party,
Associated Press should be "purged" of those to which Bierecki belongs,
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A "not worthy of belonging to said his language recalled
Polish senator who caused our national community" that of fascists in the 1930s.