Pro-European parties look set to dominate Ukraine’s parliament after elections across most of the country on Sunday.<br /><br />Exit polls put President Petro Poroshenko’s Bloc in the lead, followed by Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyiuk’s People’s Front. A third pro-Western party came in third.<br /><br />“The results of the election bring firm victory of all democratic pro-European, pro-Ukrainian forces. And that gives us a lot of opportunities to develop, to provide the reform,” said Poroshenko at a media conference.<br /><br />Sunday’s elections took place just eight months after the revolution that ousted former president Viktor Yanukovych.<br /><br />Preliminary results are expected on Monday and Poroshenko said a coalition could be formed quickly afterwards.<br /><br />“We have 10 days to create a new government. I hope very much it will be the best because no other government will be able to cope with the challenges that the country is facing today,” he said.<br /><br />The win will strengthen Poroshenko’s mandate to<br />carry out reforms sought by the EU while working towards ending the separatist conflict in the east of the country.<br /><br />Current Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk will almost certainly be reappointed.<br /><br />He told the media he hoped a coalition would be formed “in the shortest possible time frame” and that the new government would be made up “exclusively of professionals”.<br /><br />Areas of Eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian rebels didn’t take part in the election but will vote on November 5.<br /><br />Turn-out reached over 52 percent but was reported to be lower in the East due to fears about the ongoing conflict.
