'Chocolate King' expected to win Ukrainian presidential election
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With violence still plaguing the nation and Russia looming on its doorstep, Ukraine heads to the polls Sunday to pick a new president to replace Viktor Yanukovych, who was ousted in February. Though there have been reports of pro-Russian separatists smashing or confiscating ballot boxes to protest the election, voters are nonetheless reportedly turning out in record numbers.
There are 18 candidates in the running, though tycoon Petro Poroshenko — dubbed the "chocolate king' for having made his fortune in confections — is expected to win. The victor will be tasked not only with running the nation's day-to-day affairs, but also with the two unenviable tasks of quelling a violent separatist movement in the east, and dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
