KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Polls have opened in Ukraine for the first presidential ballot since the 2004 Orange Revolution.
Sunday’s first-round vote could lead to the election of a president who would abandon Ukraine’s bid to join NATO and rebuild relations with Russia.
If none of the 18 candidates wins more than 50 percent, as expected, the race will be forced into a runoff.
Opinion polls show former prime minister Viktor Yanukovych, a foe of the 2004 Orange-led peaceful mass protests, getting about one-third of votes Sunday. He is followed by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, an Orange leader who has recently reached out to the Kremlin.
Polls show President Viktor Yuschenko, a determined Westernizer, out of the running.