Ukrainian PM calls for free, fair presidential election

KIEV, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman here on Friday called for a free and fair presidential election in Ukraine this Sunday, the government press service said.

While speaking at a meeting with observers, who will monitor the elections, Groysman said that the government stands ready to provide every possible assistance to guarantee the smooth run of the electoral process.

All attempts to violate the law or intervene in the election should be immediately prevented by law enforcement officers, Groysman emphasized.

The presidential election in Ukraine will be held on March 31 with a record number of candidates.

Ukraine's Central Electoral Commission has registered 2,344 international observers from 16 countries and 15 international organizations to monitor the voting process.

According to various opinion polls, incumbent President Petro Poroshenko, opposition politician Yulia Tymoshenko and actor Volodymyr Zelensky are so far the front-runners in the race.

If none of the 39 candidates gets more than half of the votes in the first round, two candidates with the most ballots will head to a run-off on April 21.

A survey carried out on March 20-26 across Ukraine revealed that 17.8 percent of Ukrainians would support Zelensky, while 11.7 percent would vote for Poroshenko, showing that the two are most likely to win the first round.

Some 29,900 polling stations were arranged across the country. They will open at 8:00 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) and close at 8:00 p.m. (1700 GMT). Ukraine has set up 101 polling stations overseas.

According to a recent survey, up to 85 percent of some 29.8 million eligible voters are expected to participate in the seventh presidential election since Ukraine's independence in 1991.

Final results are set to be published by May 4, with the president assuming office no later than June 3.