Ukraine’s president-elect fined $32 for showing his ballot

MOSCOW – When Ukraine’s would-be president Volodymyr Zelenskiy showed his ballot to a swarm of TV and photo cameras on election day, little did he know that he would not only win the vote by a landslide — but would also face a fine.

A local court in the capital Kyiv on Monday fined Zelenskiy, a popular comedian, 850 hryvnas ($32) for breaking the election law safeguarding the secrecy of voting. The court said that Zelenskiy, who was absent, had pleaded guilty.

Zelenskiy’s rivals cried foul after the beaming comedian showed the ballot with the tick next to his name to journalists before casting it.

Zelenskiy is expected to be sworn in later this month.