Party of Ukraine's new president well ahead in parliamentary election race

Ukrainian President Zelenskiy attends a briefing in Kiev

KIEV (Reuters) - Servant of the People, the party of Ukraine's new President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has increased its large lead over rivals ahead of a snap parliamentary election due on July 21, an opinion poll showed on Wednesday.

The poll by Reiting research body showed Zelenskiy's party on 40.9 percent and Opposition Platform in second place on 9.1 percent. European Solidarity, the party of Zelenskiy's predecessor Petro Poroshenko, placed third with 6.7 percent.

The survey also showed Fatherland, the party of former prime minister and presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko, could win 5.9 percent, clearing the 5 percent threshold to enter parliament.

Reiting said it had interviewed 2,000 voters in all regions, except annexed Crimea, from May 29 to June 3.

Half of the 450 seats in Ukraine's parliament are elected on party lists and the other half in single-member constituencies.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Gareth Jones)