Ukraine holding parliamentary elections on Sunday

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Ukraine is holding an early parliamentary election on Sunday, following Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to dissolve the parliament, Verkhovna Rada, in May during his swearing-in ceremony.

Ukraine has a mixed system of parliamentary elections. 225 lawmakers of 450 are elected by lists presented by the political parties and approved by the Central Election Commission (CEC), the rest in single mandate districts.

Ukrainian Central Election Commission has registered lists of nominees from 22 political parties and there are 24,747 nominees in total.

Also 3,084 more candidates will compete in 199 single mandate districts.

The polls will not be held in Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, and in the east of Ukraine which is currently under control of the pro-Russian rebels.

According to the data, published by the CEC, voter turnout is 13.61% as of 12.00 hours in Kiev (GTM 1400), collected at 5 of 199 poll stations.

People vote most actively in Donetsk, Lviv, Odessa and Volyn Oblast, the CEC statement said.

According to the polls, five parties are expected to go into the Verkhovna Rada.

Servant of the People Party, led by acting president Volodymyr Zelensky, is predicted to get 49.5% percent of votes.

Opposition Platform - For Life, which is considered as a pro-Russian party, is second with 10.5% of votes.

Former President Petro Poroshenko's European Solidarity party is expected to win 7.7%, while former prime minister Yuliya Tymoshenko's All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" Party can count on 6.9% of the vote.

Pop singer Svyatoslav Vakarchuk closes top-5, his Voice Party is said to receive 5.9% of the vote.

President Volodymyr Zelensky dissolved the Verkhovna Rada during his swearing-in ceremony in May, triggering snap polls.