'New blood' in Ukraine parliament will ease reform path: Zelenskiy party chief
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Ukraine can pass reforms to make politicians more accountable and lift a ban on the sale of farmland after lawmakers hostile to change are tossed out in a July snap election, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s party told Reuters.

Zelenskiy scored a landslide presidential election victory in April and the ex-comedian holds a commanding opinion poll lead going into next month’s parliamentary election, though his Servant of the People party may fall short of a majority.

He had no prior political experience but Zelenskiy’s anti-establishment message and unorthodox style - relying heavily on social media and jokes to cut through to voters - has resonated with an electorate fed up with corruption and politics as usual.

Dmytro Razumkov, the head of Zelenskiy’s party, said parliament has blocked the president’s reform initiatives, including bills to strip lawmakers of immunity from prosecution and another on officials illegally enriching themselves.

He thinks that will change once Zelenskiy’s party wins its first seats and parliament, now filled with lawmakers loyal to Zelenskiy’s predecessor Petro Poroshenko, is overhauled.

Ukraine president's party keeps commanding poll lead ahead of July election
Razumkov said his party was open to forming a coalition with other parties but declined to name them.

“I think that the time has come for a transfusion in the Verkhovna Rada and the emergence of new blood, young blood in the rather old-fashioned building of the Verkhovna Rada,” Razumkov said in an interview at his party headquarters.

Razumkov said Zelenskiy’s party would try to persuade parliament to lift a moratorium on the sale of farmland that has been in force since 2001. This step is backed by foreign donors and businesses who see huge investment potential.

Ukraine’s fertile land already makes it one of the world’s top grain exporters but some fear that lifting the moratorium means small landholders might be bullied to sell their land on the cheap to big businesses or foreigners.