The Ukrainian Central Election Commission (CEC) has begun accepting registration applications from persons planning to run in the country's snap presidential election, set for May 25.

The nomination of candidates will continue until March 30. Both candidates nominated by political parties and self-nominated candidates are allowed to run in the polls. Each candidate will also be required to pay a deposit of UAH 2.5 million.

The deadline for submitting the documents required for presidential candidates' registration by CEC has been set for April 4.

On February 22, Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, voted to remove President Viktor Yanukovych and called snap presidential elections following nearly three months of protests in the country.

Yanukovych's whereabouts are currently unknown.

The most likely candidates for the Ukrainian presidency include the UDAR party leader, former world heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, Maidan activist and Channel 5 television station owner Petro Poroshenko, Batkivschyna faction leader Arseniy Yatseniuk, and Svoboda far-right party chairman Oleh Tiahnybok.

It has also been said that former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was released from prison recently, may agree to take part in the elections, but her lawyer Serhiy Vlasenko has already said that she has not announced her plans to run in the polls.

The Verkhovna Rada introduced amendments to the country's budget on February 24, allocating UAH 1.965 billion for the elections.