THE Dark Lord of the Sith is stepping into Ukrainian politics. And he’s up against some evil competition.

The black-masked master of the mysterious arts has formally sought to register his intention to run as a presidential candidate for elections in Ukraine.

His ambitions are lofty

“I alone can make an empire out of a republic, to restore former glories, to return lost territories and pride for this country,” Mr Vader said in a statement.

He joins a line-up of 15 contenders — some of whom are backed by emp … er, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

It set to be a clash of epic proportions.

Flanked by white and red armoured bodyguards, and endorsed by a wayward Wookie, Mr Vader has not yet joined the ranks of five so far registered by the electoral commission.

It’s not a flippant bid: The party has forked out the $250,000 deposit required for registering a candidate.

It is not the first time the Dark Lord has sought public backing in Ukraine: In 2012 he received about 3 per cent of the vote in an unsuccessful push for parliament.

Vader has been a common sight campaigning around the country with his stormtroopers and imperial guard in recent years. His party, the Internet Party of Ukraine, was recognised as an official political party in 2010.

The UIP runs on a political platform of creating an electronic government in Ukraine, speeding up the transition to digital media and offering free computer courses to all citizens.

The UIP was registered by the Ukrainian cyber-criminal Dmitry Ivanovich Golubov

Ukraine’s presidential elections are due on May 25.