Ukrainian showman Volodymyr Zelensky, a frontrunner in the first round of the Ukraine presidential election, may lose votes in the runoff if he unites with leader of the Batkivshchyna Party Yulia Tymoshenko, says Andriy Zolotariov, political scientist and head of the Third Sector analytical center.
"Zelensky really does need technological assistance from other candidates, but going for public negotiations and a union with Yulia Tymoshenko would constitute a risk of losing those voters who see in Zelensky, above all, a candidate who's outside the system. He could lose votes from this union," the expert wrote in his op-ed for the Ukrainian news outlet Glavred.
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In his opinion, Tymoshenko should also realize there is no need to go for any public steps and announce the union.
"She could help a little with the use of the Batkivshchyna political machine, and that would be enough for Zelensky to get the result and defeat [incumbent Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko in the runoff," Zolotariov said.
