A COMEDIAN with no political experience won a landslide victory in Ukraine’s presidential election, drawing congratulations from global leaders while dealing a stunning rebuke to his country’s political establishment.

Volodymyr Zelensky, whose only previous political role was playing the president on a TV show, trounced incumbent Petro Poroshenko by taking 73.2 percent of the vote, according to nearly complete official results released early yesterday.

Poroshenko garnered just 24.4 percent.

It was an extraordinary outcome to a campaign that started as a joke but struck a chord with voters frustrated by social injustice, corruption and a war with Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that has claimed some 13,000 lives.

The star of the TV series “Servant of the People” will now take the helm of a country of 45 million people.

“I will never let you down,” Zelensky told jubilant supporters at his campaign headquarters where he was showered with glittering confetti.

Congratulations poured in from Europe and beyond, with French President Emmanuel Macron and Poland’s Andrzej Duda congratulating the Ukrainian president-elect by phone.

Poroshenko, 53, said the results were clear and enough reason to “call my opponent and congratulate him.”

Observers say Ukraine’s new leader may seek to use his outsider status to try to improve ties with Moscow. Moscow said the vote result showed Ukrainians wanted “change.”

Zelensky supporters say only a fresh face can clean up Ukraine’s politics and end the separatist conflict. But others doubt the showman will be able to take on the country’s influential oligarchs, or negotiate with the likes of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The comic shunned traditional campaign rallies and instead performed comedy gigs and used social media to appeal to voters.

The Ukrainian president has strong powers over defense, security and foreign policy but needs backing from parliament to push through reforms. Poroshenko’s faction has the most seats in the current legislature and new parliamentary polls are due in October.  (SD-Agencies)