Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Vitali Klitschko seems like the reasonable alternative to Chernovetskiy’s alleged corruption, and the Tymoshenko Bloc’s machinations and cynicism.

grounds for a snap election. As incumbent Mayor Leonid Chernovetskiy is about to prove, he wasn’t as unpopular with the electorate as his rivals thought.

Neither is alleged corruption a basis for a pre-term election. Corruption allegations should be investigated thoroughly and prosecuted in the courts, not the voting booths.

Given that the elections haven’t been derailed and will be held on May 25, it is the civic duty of every eligible voter residing in Ukraine’s capital to cast his or her vote.

If voters weren’t convinced that Chernovetskiy wasn’t fit for the job prior to elections, the campaign itself offered more opportunity to demonstrate his lack of governing standards.

Chernovetskiy used the city media, funded by taxpayers, as a propaganda tool to smear his enemies as corrupt and immoral, while casting himself as Kyiv’s godsend. Metro riders are treated to his government's self-promotion and promises of new metro cars and stations ad nauseum.

Meanwhile, he has exploited his position as mayor to indirectly offer pensioners and civil servants, particularly teachers and medical workers, higher payments in exchange for their support.

Chernovetskiy’s main opponent in the Kyiv City Council has been the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc. However, voters want to select a leader, and not a mouthpiece and proxy for Tymoshenko.

Oleksandr Turchynov has failed to convince voters he will make decisions based on Kyiv’s vital interests, rather than advocating those of his political force and its leader. Tymoshenko’s conflict with President Viktor Yushchenko has reflected very negatively upon her. A repeat of the current mess in government is not needed in the Kyiv City Council.

Vitali Klitschko seems like the reasonable alternative to those fed up with Chernovetskiy’s alleged corruption, and the Tymoshesnko Bloc’s political machinations and cynicism.

Admittedly, his exposure to Ukrainian politics is limited, shuttling between the two continents on his business and boxing-related trips. Among Klitschko’s closest political partners and sponsors are Kyiv real estate magnates Dmytro Andriyevskiy and Lev Partskhaladze, who gained much of his hundreds of millions in wealth after serving in the Kyiv City Council.

With these names on the party list, Klitschko's commitment, or ability, to stay clear of corruption suddenly leaves room for doubt. With real estate corruption among the biggest issues in this election, Klitshcko will need to distance himself from Andriyevskiy and Partskhaladze, either asking them to resign from XXI Century Investments or from the Klitschko Bloc's party list for City Council.

At the same time, rarely has a politician ever been elected without the support of businessmen, and Klitschko appears less likely to be driven by personal profit than his counterparts. His extensive exposure to Western culture and business, far more than any of his competitors, should have instilled the value of investing in the future, rather than using government as a feeding trough to plunder the spoils as quickly as possible.

Klitschko would also make a great ambassador for the city, being an internationally recognized and respected celebrity. This could help attract interest and investment that would might otherwise bypass Kyiv.

Furthermore, the 36-year-old Klitschko had minimum exposure to the Soviet Marxist ideology, which views the world and its conflicts in materialistic terms, a mentality which bred the current generation of scandalous politicians. Klitschko could be that break from Ukraine's Soviet past that wasn't accomplished with Viktor Yushchenko or Yulia Tymoshenko.

So while the idea of a boxer becoming mayor within two years of concluding his career does seem rather odd, we endorse Klitschko for mayor.

However it's the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc that's more deserving of support for the City Council election. It has more experience and organization to combat Chernovetskiy and his cronies than does Klitschko's politicians, many of whom sold their votes to join Chernovetskiy's majority after the 2006 election.

Until Klitschko is able to demonstrate he can form a consistent political force with loyal politicians committed to a set of principles, the Tymoshenko Bloc is the more stable option that offers Kyiv hope for Western standards in politics and governance.