<p>Campaigning for Ukraine's snap parliamentary polls began on Friday as comedian-turned-president Volodymyr Zelensky seeks to cement his power.</p>.<p>The 41-year-old political novice, who won a landslide victory last month in a rebuke to the elites, dissolved a parliament dominated by his political opponents immediately after taking office this week.</p>.<p>To push through reforms, Zelensky needs to secure maximum seats for his newly-formed party, called Servant of the People after a television show in which he played a president.</p>.<p>Originally parliamentary elections had been set to take place in October but Zelensky called early polls for July 21.</p>.<p>Many said the dissolution of the single-house legislature was controversial but Zelensky insisted the old parliament did not enjoy popular support.</p>.<p>The Servant of the People was established in 2017 and is largely a virtual party.</p>.<p>But it is already leading in latest opinion polls with 44 percent support.</p>.<p>It has recently said it will profess libertarianism.</p>.<p>Analysts chalk up the party's massive popularity to the high approval ratings of Zelensky, who last month beat incumbent Petro Poroshenko winning more than 73 percent of the vote.</p>.<p>According to opinion polls, four more political parties will overcome a five-percent vote threshold to enter parliament.</p>.<p>The pro-Russian "Opposition Platform" is the second most popular party, with 10 percent of respondents saying they would vote for it, according to the Rating pollster.</p>.<p>Poroshenko's party and the party of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko who was knocked out of the presidential race -- enjoy 8.8 percent and 7.3 percent support respectively.</p>.<p>Last week, Ukrainian rock star Svyatoslav Vakarchuk launched his own political party, dubbed Golos (Voice). Its popularity is growing rapidly and currently stands at 4.6 percent.</p>.<p>Under the current legislation, half of the 450-seat chamber's lawmakers are elected via party lists; the other half are selected directly in single-member districts.</p>.<p>Zelensky wanted to push through changes to the electoral law by lowering the voting threshold and having the next chamber elected only on party lists.</p>.<p>But lawmakers have refused to consider those proposals.</p>
<p>Campaigning for Ukraine's snap parliamentary polls began on Friday as comedian-turned-president Volodymyr Zelensky seeks to cement his power.</p>.<p>The 41-year-old political novice, who won a landslide victory last month in a rebuke to the elites, dissolved a parliament dominated by his political opponents immediately after taking office this week.</p>.<p>To push through reforms, Zelensky needs to secure maximum seats for his newly-formed party, called Servant of the People after a television show in which he played a president.</p>.<p>Originally parliamentary elections had been set to take place in October but Zelensky called early polls for July 21.</p>.<p>Many said the dissolution of the single-house legislature was controversial but Zelensky insisted the old parliament did not enjoy popular support.</p>.<p>The Servant of the People was established in 2017 and is largely a virtual party.</p>.<p>But it is already leading in latest opinion polls with 44 percent support.</p>.<p>It has recently said it will profess libertarianism.</p>.<p>Analysts chalk up the party's massive popularity to the high approval ratings of Zelensky, who last month beat incumbent Petro Poroshenko winning more than 73 percent of the vote.</p>.<p>According to opinion polls, four more political parties will overcome a five-percent vote threshold to enter parliament.</p>.<p>The pro-Russian "Opposition Platform" is the second most popular party, with 10 percent of respondents saying they would vote for it, according to the Rating pollster.</p>.<p>Poroshenko's party and the party of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko who was knocked out of the presidential race -- enjoy 8.8 percent and 7.3 percent support respectively.</p>.<p>Last week, Ukrainian rock star Svyatoslav Vakarchuk launched his own political party, dubbed Golos (Voice). Its popularity is growing rapidly and currently stands at 4.6 percent.</p>.<p>Under the current legislation, half of the 450-seat chamber's lawmakers are elected via party lists; the other half are selected directly in single-member districts.</p>.<p>Zelensky wanted to push through changes to the electoral law by lowering the voting threshold and having the next chamber elected only on party lists.</p>.<p>But lawmakers have refused to consider those proposals.</p>