You're reading: Group of Ukrainian intellectuals back Poroshenko in presidential elections

A group of Ukrainian intellectuals have expressed their support of billionaire and parliamentarian Petro Poroshenko in the presidential elections scheduled for May 25.

“By addressing our fellow compatriots, we are also addressing all presidential candidates, so that Yulia Tymoshenko, Oleh Tiahnybok and all other candidates could hear us and think about having an opportunity to accomplish a patriotic feat today, because […] if these candidates support him [Poroshenko], this would mean that the candidates profoundly understand the current situation,” writer Dmytro Pavlychko said at a press conference on Wednesday.

In this case, Poroshenko may win in the first round of the elections, he said.

The appeal was signed by 29 people, including writer Yuriy Scherbak, acting head of the National Remembrance Institute Ihor Yukhnovsky, writer Yuriy Mushketyk, Honorary President of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Viacheslav Briukhovetsky, Writers Union Chairman Viktor Baranov, Writers Union member Mykola Zhulynsky, composer Yevhen Stankovych, and others.