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Ukraine election: Rivals agree to a stadium face-off | Ukraine election: Rivals agree to a stadium face-off |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has agreed to debate rival candidate Volodymyr Zelensky in a rare stadium event. | Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has agreed to debate rival candidate Volodymyr Zelensky in a rare stadium event. |
The incumbent has also agreed to take a drug and alcohol test on Friday. | The incumbent has also agreed to take a drug and alcohol test on Friday. |
A date has not yet been arranged for the televised face-off, which will take place in Kiev's Olympiyskiy Stadium. | A date has not yet been arranged for the televised face-off, which will take place in Kiev's Olympiyskiy Stadium. |
It comes days after Mr Zelensky, a comedian with no political experience, won the most votes in the first round of Ukraine's presidential elections. | It comes days after Mr Zelensky, a comedian with no political experience, won the most votes in the first round of Ukraine's presidential elections. |
Mr Zelensky has since called for their debate to be moderated by Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine's former prime minister who polled third in this week's voting. | Mr Zelensky has since called for their debate to be moderated by Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine's former prime minister who polled third in this week's voting. |
President Poroshenko and Mrs Tymoshenko have yet to comment on this new demand. | President Poroshenko and Mrs Tymoshenko have yet to comment on this new demand. |
Mr Poroshenko had earlier challenged Mr Zelensky to a debate before the first wave of voting. | Mr Poroshenko had earlier challenged Mr Zelensky to a debate before the first wave of voting. |
The challenge was initially accepted but Mr Zelensky later backtracked on his pledge, a move which drew criticism on social media. | The challenge was initially accepted but Mr Zelensky later backtracked on his pledge, a move which drew criticism on social media. |
Then, on Wednesday, Mr Zelensky threw down the gauntlet in a slick social media video. | Then, on Wednesday, Mr Zelensky threw down the gauntlet in a slick social media video. |
"You thought I'd run and hide.... no I'm not you in 2014," he said, accepting the challenge and giving Mr Poroshenko 24 hours to reply. | "You thought I'd run and hide.... no I'm not you in 2014," he said, accepting the challenge and giving Mr Poroshenko 24 hours to reply. |
The presidential hopeful also demanded the debate be held, in front of all interested broadcasters, at Olympiyskiy Stadium. The venue can hold up to 70,000 people. | The presidential hopeful also demanded the debate be held, in front of all interested broadcasters, at Olympiyskiy Stadium. The venue can hold up to 70,000 people. |
On Thursday, Mr Poroshenko responded with his own, more sombre video, insisting that the stadium event not become a "show". | On Thursday, Mr Poroshenko responded with his own, more sombre video, insisting that the stadium event not become a "show". |
"There's no room for jokes here," said Mr Poroshenko. | "There's no room for jokes here," said Mr Poroshenko. |
"Being a president and supreme commander is not a game... it means being responsible for the people, for the country." | "Being a president and supreme commander is not a game... it means being responsible for the people, for the country." |
Both candidates have agreed to cover the costs of the event, as set out by Ukraine's civil society watchdog Opora. | Both candidates have agreed to cover the costs of the event, as set out by Ukraine's civil society watchdog Opora. |
A bad miscalculation | A bad miscalculation |
By Jonah Fisher, Kiev Correspondent | By Jonah Fisher, Kiev Correspondent |
Mr Zelensky's unusual strategy of avoiding conventional political campaigning in favour of carefully calibrated social media videos has been working so far. | |
And then he challenged President Poroshenko to a debate - clearly thinking there was no way he would agree, and this "offer" would deflect attention from his own reluctance to participate. | |
He badly miscalculated. Mr Poroshenko has nothing to lose and would dearly love to lock horns with the inexperienced Mr Zelensky. Perhaps it's the only way he might turn things around. | |
Mr Poroshenko called the comedian's bluff. Mr Zelensky's team started to panic. They declared the medical clinic unacceptable and suggested another one. | |
Then Mr Zelensky made an even stranger suggestion, that the defeated third-place candidate from the first round, Yulia Tymoshenko, should moderate the debate. | |
She and Mr Poroshenko have a longstanding rivalry, making the idea a complete non-starter as well as ridiculous. | |
This "stadium debate" affair may turn out to be simply a disastrous episode on Mr Zelensky's path to the presidency. | |
But it is very strange that a man who has spent the campaign trying to convince people that he's not just a comedian and can be serious, now appears to be trying to turn campaigning into a complete farce. | |