Vitali Klitschko has withdrawn from the May 25 presidential race in Ukraine to endorse fellow millionaire member of parliament Petro Poroshenko. Klitschko, the world heavyweight boxing champion and head of the Ukrainian Demcratic Alliance for Reform, will run for mayor of Kyiv, according to Interfax-Ukraine news service.
Klitschko, whose party is one of three holding a convention today, called on democratic forces to unite behind Poroshenko as the sole candidate in the race.
“The only chance to win is to nominate a single candidate from the democratic forces. Let’s leave the principle ‘two Ukrainians – three hetmans’ to other politicians. During the last year I had been insisting on nominating one candidate… It should be the candidate who has the greatest support of citizens. I offer the only candidate from the democratic forces Petro Poroshenko be supported in the presidential elections,” Klitschko said at a meeting of the UDAR Party in Kyiv on March 29.
“I have made the considered decision to run for Kyiv mayor,” Klitschko said. “I want to make Kyiv a really European capital, and we should do our country a truly European country. All the reforms and all initiatives start in the capital.”
The Kyiv mayoral elections are scheduled for May 25.
The move is expected to put significant pressure on other candidates running on the pro-democratic, pro-European platform, notably ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, to follow suit and unite behind Poroshenko.
However, more than 15 people have announced or are said to be considering running for president. Of the candidates, Poroshenko is leading in many polls, followed by Klitschko before his withdrawal announcement and Tymoshenko in third place.
In announcing her candidacy for president this week, Tymoshenko said that she would support Poroshenko if voters do not elect her.
Read Klitschko’s statement here
Read also: Crowded presidential field already shaping up for May 25 election
