KIEV 20 May (ANA) - Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky announced a snap parliamentary election during his swearing in as Ukraine's new president, in a surprise move.

 

The election was expected to take place in October 2019. But at the ceremony in Kiev Mr Zelensky said "I am dissolving the Verkhovna Rada (parliament)".

 

He said ending the conflict with Russian-backed rebels in the east would be his top priority.

 

A political novice, he campaigned strongly against official corruption.

 

"People must come to power who will serve the public," he said on Monday.

 

The former television star - who acted the part of Ukrainian president in a comedy - scored a landslide victory in last month's presidential election.

 

"We must become Icelanders in football, Israelis in defending our land, Japanese in technology," he said.

 

Hinting at Russia, without naming it, he said Ukrainians must also "become Swiss in our ability to live happily with each other, despite any differences".

 

"Our first task is to achieve a ceasefire in Donbass," he said, referring to the eastern region controlled by Russian-backed rebels.

 

In the election the former television actor ousted incumbent Petro Poroshenko, who had been in power since 2014.

 

Mr Zelensky has given few details of his plans since winning by a landslide on 21 April. He has left it to a team of advisers to try and reassure people that he knows what he's doing.

 

At the ceremony, Mr Zelensky was given golden symbols of office, including a sceptre, which he held aloft in a victory salute.

 

A choir in folk costume sang patriotic hymns to welcome him.

 

Russian state TV said no Russian official had been invited to the inauguration.(ANA)

FA/ANA/20 May 2019---------