October 21-24, 2014

IFES Ukraine
Parliamentary Election Bulletin #8
October 24, 2014
In this issue:

14,
2014
Democratic Initiatives FoundationApril
releases
results
of recent election-related public opinion poll

CEC makes final changes to composition of DECs and DEC budgets

CEC changes location of two DECs in Donetsk oblast

CEC approves procedure for invalidation of ballot papers printed for districts in Donetsk and
Lugansk oblasts

Ministry of Interior finalizes preparations for Election Day

OPORA and CVU present their final pre-election observation reports
Upcoming Events:

Election Day
Election-Related Events (October 21-24, 2014)
Democratic Initiatives Foundation releases results of recent election-related public opinion poll
On October 22, 2014, the Democratic Initiatives Foundation (DIF) made public the results of its most
recent (and the last before the Election Day) public opinion poll dedicated to the pre-term parliamentary
elections, covering 2,025 respondents in all the regions of Ukraine except for Crimea and Lugansk oblast.
The poll was conducted by DIF jointly with the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) during
October 9 -19, 2014. The opinion poll results indicate that seven political parties have a strong chance to
pass the 5% electoral threshold. In particular, 30.4% of respondents said they would vote for the
Poroshenko Bloc, 12.9% of respondents will vote for the Oleg Liashko Radical Party, 10.8% will vote for
the People’s Front, 8.5% will vote for Samopomich, 7.5% will vote for the Batkivshchyna, 5.9% of
respondents will vote for the Opposition Bloc, 5.6% will vote for Serhii Tigipko’s Strong Ukraine, and 4.6%
will vote for Civic Position. It is unclear whether Svoboda and the Communist Party will succeed in winning
in the national contest under the proportional representation system, as only 3% of respondents intend
to vote for Svoboda, while the Communist Party was supported by 4.1% of respondents. At the time the
survey was conducted, 32% of respondents were still unclear for whom they would vote.
CEC makes final changes to composition of DECs and DEC budgets
During the last week before Election Day, the CEC continued to change the composition of the DECs (CEC
Resolutions No 884, 906, 918, 932, 950, 966, 980, 1008, 1045, 1079, 1112, 1133, 1167, 1222, 1260, 1297,
1348, 1401, 1423, 1467, 1496, 1525, 1556, 1602, 1652, 1718, 1791, 1823, 1852, 1895, 1947, 1977, and
2012). The CEC also changed the composition of some PECs at election precincts created in other countries
(see CEC Resolution No 1978). According to the most recent OPORA estimates, the CEC has already
replaced 46% of the initially appointed DEC members.
As of October 24, 2014, the CEC had approved the budgets of 207 out of 213 DECs (CEC Resolutions Nos
1184, 1350, 1424, 1447, 1497, 1526, 1557, 1653, 1719, 1792, 1853, 1948, and 2013). At the same time,
many previously approved budgets have been changed a number of times by the CEC (CEC Resolutions
Nos 1527, 1558, 1603, 1654, 1720, 1721, 1793, 1794, 1824, 1949, and 1979).
The CEC also finalized approval of the lists of DEC members entitled to work for DECs on a paid basis (CEC
Resolutions No 931, 967, 981, 1009, 1047, 1080, 1113, 1134, 1168, 1349, 1402, 1446, 1528, 1655, 1795,
and 1980). The Law on Parliamentary Elections provides that DEC members work on an unpaid basis
except for three commission members identified by the respective DEC (the DEC’s decision is subject to
further approval by the CEC) who receive salaries for the whole period of their work on the commissions.
CEC changes location of two DECs in Donetsk oblast
On October 14 and 20, the Donetsk Oblast Administration applied to the CEC to change the centers of
DECs No 45 and 59 due to ongoing military operations in the neighboring territories. On October 21 and
22, the CEC adopted Resolutions No 1973 and 2005 to move the centers of districts No 45 and 59 to,
respectively, the cities of Slavyansk and Velyka Novosilka. This is the second time that the CEC has moved
the centers of those two districts: on October 7, 2014, the center of district No 45 was removed to the
town of Zhelanne (CEC Resolution No 1524), while the center of district No 59 was moved to Kurakhove
(CEC Resolution No 1165).
Overall, the CEC has changed the centers for six districts established in Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts,
namely, for districts Nos 45 (twice), 51, 53 and 59 (twice) in Donetsk oblast (CEC Resolutions Nos 1524
and 1165) and election districts Nos 104 and 114 (CEC Resolutions Nos 1396 and 1442) in Lugansk.
According to CEC Chair Mykhailo Okhendovskyi, it will be impossible to organize the elections in election
districts Nos 41-44, 54-56, 61 (Donetsk oblast), 104, 105, and 108-111 (Lugansk oblast) as their territories
are entirely controlled by separatists, while in election districts Nos 45, 51 and 53 (Donetsk oblast) holding
elections may be problematic.
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IFES Ukraine Parliamentary Election Bulletin #8
October 24, 2014
CEC approves procedure for invalidation of ballot papers printed for districts in Donetsk and Lugansk
oblasts
On October 22, the CEC issued a clarification on the procedure for invalidation of the ballot papers printed
for the single-member districts in Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts that have not been delivered to the DECs
and/or PECs established in those districts (CEC Resolution No 2006). According to the Resolution, if the
ballot papers are not delivered to the DECs created in Donetsk or Lugansk oblasts, they must be returned
to the CEC and then destroyed by the printing company that printed them. Furthermore, if it is impossible
for the DEC in Donetsk or Lugansk oblast to deliver the ballot papers to certain PECs established in the
respective single-member election districts, the DEC must document this impossibility via a report after
the end of voting (the report must be attached to the tabulation protocol for the district). The DEC must
invalidate the ballot papers by cutting off their corners and deliver them to the CEC for destruction.
Ministry of Interior finalizes preparations for Election Day
According to Minister of Interior Arsen Avakov, roughly 82,000 policemen will be involved in ensuring
security and public order on Election Day. Of that total, 61,000 will be deployed at polling stations, 18,000
will be maintaining order in the streets, and 4,000 police officers will be undertaking security measures at
precincts with high levels of risks of terrorist attacks or public disorder. As for elections in Donbas, the
police will exercise their duties in the territories where the elections will be held with assistance from the
National Guard and Armed Forces of Ukraine.
OPORA and CVU present their final pre-election observation reports
On October 24, 2014, the Committee of Voters of Ukraine and OPORA Civic Network presented their most
recent election observation reports.
The CVU election observation report emphasizes the fact that the number of election-related offenses
has decreased compared to the May 2014 elections. Except for Donbas, where in most districts elections
will not be held, elections are being organized in conformity with legal requirements. The key problems
in the October 2014 elections, according to CVU, are military actions in Donbas, widespread vote buying,
hidden political advertising by parties and candidates, inability of many in the military to vote in the
Eastern territories where they are deployed. According to CVU, the CEC made public only 2 party preelection financial reports, and MP candidate pre-election financial reports for only 80 out of 213 election
districts.
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IFES Ukraine Parliamentary Election Bulletin #8
October 24, 2014
The OPORA election observation report identifies the situation in Donbas, frequent changes in
composition of the DECs and PECs and vote buying as the key problems of the 2014 elections. According
to OPORA, 190,283 Ukrainian voters have changed their places of voting for the 2014 pre-term
parliamentary elections. On a positive note, the CEC administers the elections generally in transparent
manner and seeks to ensure that voters in Donbas exercise their voting rights on the Election Day.
Upcoming Events
Election Day
Voting at the 2014 pre-term parliamentary elections will be held on October 26, 2014, from 8 AM to 8
PM.
This Election Bulletin was prepared by IFES Ukraine. To unsubscribe please contact IFES Project Assistant
Iryna Pushchyk at [email protected]
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IFES Ukraine Parliamentary Election Bulletin #8
October 24, 2014

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