KIEV, May 26 (RAPSI) – Chocolate king and independent candidate Petro Poroshenko has won the presidential election in Ukraine in the first round with over 55% of the vote. According to exit polls, the runner-up is former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (Batkivshchyna).

As of 6 PM on May 25, Poroshenko was leading with 55.9%, Tymoshenko had 12.9%. “Oleh Lyashko (Radical Party) was third with 8%, former Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko (Civil Position) won 6.3%, Serhiy Tihipko (self-nominated) 4.7% and Mykhailo Dobkin (Party of Regions) 2.1%,” according to a national exit poll.

The exit poll held by four national TV channels showed that Poroshenko was winning with 57.31% of the vote and Tymoshenko took 12.39%. Savik Shuster Studio, which broadcast the results of its own exit poll live, said Poroshenko got 55.7% and Tymoshenko 12.9% of the vote.

Early presidential and local elections were held in Ukraine on May 25 amid a deep political crisis and a bloody anti-terrorist operation conducted by the Kiev government in southeast Ukraine.

Boxer and protest leader Vitali Klitschko won the mayoral election in Kiev.

Poroshenko, born on September 26, 1965, owns the Roshen group of confectioneries, several car and bus plants, the Leninska Kuznya shipyard, the 5 Kanal television channel and other businesses. In March 2012, Forbes placed him 1153rd on its list of billionaires with $1 billion.