KIEV, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing presidential elections in Ukraine are well-organized, incumbent Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Sunday.
"Today I am sure that the elections have been organized well and the will of the citizens will be preserved," Poroshenko, who is also a presidential candidate, told reporters at a polling station in Kiev.
"This is an absolutely necessary condition for our movement forward -- towards the return of Ukraine to the family of European nations, to our membership in the European Union and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), to the continuation of the most important reforms," Poroshenko added.
Voting for the presidential elections in Ukraine kicked off at 8 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Sunday with a record 39 candidates competing for the presidency. The polling stations will close at 8:00 p.m. (1700 GMT).
According to various opinion polls, Poroshenko along with actor Volodymyr Zelensky and the leader of the opposition Fatherland party Yulia Tymoshenko are viewed as front-runners in the race.