The third report on the results of OPORA’s nationwide observation 2012 Parliamentary elections - June 2012

With this third report, OPORA continues the practice of publishing the results of its monthly monitoring of the electoral situation throughout Ukraine. The organization has analyzed the content of the campaigns conducted by both parties and candidates, investigated allegations of abuse of administrative resources and voter bribing. The examples described in the report provide an opportunity to define electoral trends identified by OPORA, but do not constitute an exhaustive list of facts.

By conducting comprehensive monitoring, the election observation conducted by Civil Network OPORA aims to provide an impartial assessment of the preparation and conduct of the electoral process, as well as prevent electoral violations. Professional monitoring of all stages of the electoral process provides an indirect influence on the quality of the campaign. Public opinion, both inside and outside the country, is shaped by sharing the results of the observation with the target audience. In a strategic perspective, the public monitoring of elections focuses on improving both the overall system and specific procedures. During the 2012 parliamentary elections in Ukraine, OPORA is implementing a large-scale campaign of long- and short-term observation, organizes a parallel vote tabulation of the election results of through the random selection of a representative sample, and will deploy observers to 100 percent of polling stations in specific single-mandate majoritarian districts. OPORA’s long-term observers will work in all 225 of Ukraine’s electoral districts, and 3,500 short-term observers will join them on election day. OPORA will use the most effective means for sharing information about its observation results, including infographics and interactive maps.

At the current stage of the public monitoring campaign, 24 oblast coordinators are monitoring the electoral process, including two  in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and in Kyiv. On July 30, when the parliamentary elections officially begin, their number will increase to 251.

INTRODUCTION

The upcoming parliamentary elections will determine the prospects of Ukraine’s integration with Europe for the next 10 years. OPORA’s observation of the whole campaign period will be crucial to ensure an objective assessment of the level of democracy, transparency and competition of the process, and of the existence of equal opportunities for candidates during the elections. The conclusions of OPORA’s monitoring mission will be based on the national election legislation and universally recognized international standards.

During this stage of the election cycle, potential candidates and parties are conducting campaigns, organizing expensive events and spending money of questionable origin. Moreover, OPORA has identified a trend of conducting political charity that would appear to aim at bribing voters during the pre-election period. However, legally-established standards of conduct for candidates do not apply prior to July 30, when the campaign officially starts. The lack of legal consequences and a low level of political culture enable potential candidates to use during this period all available tools, even those that would reduce the level of fairness in the competition..

Under the current conditions of economic crisis in Ukraine, the government promoted an increase in social payments or temporary benefits for a large category of people, particularly the poor and pensioners. This is illustrated by a recent decision to pay compensation from the state budget to citizens who lost their savings due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the creation of temporary jobs for social employees to work on President Viktor Yanukovych’s social initiatives through the elections. In addition, the pre-election populism also touched the humanitarian sphere, as evidenced by the adoption of legislation introducing Russian as a second official language. There are no funds in the state budget to implement this decision, but this is an issue that mobilizes both pro-governmental and opposition voters.

Another trend of the campaign is the participation of officials in active political activities.  Ukraine’s political party law and an official order from 2010 determine that state officials should refrain from demonstrating their political views and their attitude towards political forces, parties and blocs to prevent an impact on their work performance. In addition, under conditions when officials do not distinguish between political and executive work, there is a significant risk of abuse of administrative resources in its various manifestations.

A typical feature of the campaign in June was the launch of parties’ grassroots staff, which increased the number of active candidates and partially decentralized the campaign efforts. A transparent system of candidate approval and nomination within the parties has not been applied at the appropriate level. Grassroots organizations, ordinary party members or voters do not have a practical influence on the process of determining the most worthy candidates within a political force or party.

CAMPAIGN TRENDS AND CONCLUSIONS – June 2012

The approaching campaign has intensified the work of political parties and their regional branches. Some parties, such as the United Opposition, used the putting in place of staff managers to conduct informational sessions. Leaders of other political parties, such as "Ukraine-Forward!" and UDAR, took part in the presentation of candidates who would run in majoritarian constituencies. Meanwhile, conducting public presentations does not guarantee the transparency of election campaigns or campaign offices.

• Candidate selection methods essential in developed democracies are not implemented by political parties properly and are used mostly as a public relations tool. Despite the fact that leaders of some political forces, such as “Ukraine-Forward!” and UDAR, participated in presentations of their single mandate candidates, their selection had not been agreed with other party members at the appropriate level.
• To fulfill the president’s recent social initiatives, the Ministry of Social Policy addressed a letter to local government entities asking them to modernize social services to deliver more attention to the most vulnerable citizens. In response, local governments proposed creating 1,200 new social worker posts with local funding through election day. OPORA observers have already seen the new social workers conducting agitation activities.
• The involvement of public servants in the electoral process remains a key challenge for the 2012 parliamentary campaign. Officials of central and local authorities tend to use administrative benefits and budget resources in the interest of specific political forces and candidates. The party that dominates the authorities of a region actively uses their service occasions to conduct campaign activities. Such actions directly contradict the law: Article 4 of Ukraine’s political party law indicates that the state authorities, local governments and their officials are prohibited from showing a preference for specific political parties or give them benefits, and from promoting political parties, except as otherwise provided by law, in conducting their activities. In addition, an official order defining the rules of conduct for State servants states that public servants should refrain from demonstrating their political views and their preference for political forces, parties and blocs to prevent their influence on the work performance.
• An observed trend regarding election campaigns in majoritarian constituencies is the mass charitable activity of potential candidates, which shows signs of being aimed at bribing voters. Politicians launch work of charity foundations, which usually act within one constituency. The activities of these organizations have broad coverage in the local media. OPORA would like to remind parties and citizens that the bribing of voters is one of the potential threats to conducting fair elections in Ukraine. According to clarifications issued by the Central Elections Commission (CEC) clarifications and the legal framework, "conducting pre-election campaign or giving money to voters, institutions, agencies, organizations, and electoral commissions and their members, or providing goods and services, jobs, securities, credits, lottery tickets, or other property free of charge or on favorable terms followed by proposals to vote for or against a particular political party or candidate for parliamentary office, or mentioning the name of the party or candidate, is an indirect bribery of voters.”
• Candidates in majoritarian constituencies focused on resource-spending forms of campaign: entertaining, social, cultural and sporting events, charity and gifts to voters. However, there were no cases of holding systematic “door to door” voter outreach campaigns.
• The upcoming official start of the campaign has led to interparty transitions and changes of political affiliation within local councils. There is a serious concern about cases of media involvement in electoral conflicts and attempts to pressure journalists.
• A new trend is that outdoor advertising of relatively small parties appears only in a small number of regions. For example, billboards with CPU materials are widespread in some central and southern regions. The Party of Afghanistan Veterans and Pravda are advertising their activities in constituencies where they expect to have highly rated candidates;
• The effective voting of members of Parliament (MPs) for a bill on State language policy during the first reading became one of the leading political topics around which debates were conducted in the national and local media. Political forces and candidates actively expressed their support for or opposition to the draft law and used the event as an additional informational occasion.
• The Euro 2012 football championship was actively used by politicians and potential candidates as an additional informational occasion within their campaigns. This sporting event was organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which in its charter clearly states that it is neutral in terms of politics and religion. The Code of Ethics and Fair Play of the Football Federation of Ukraine states that the FFU does not seek to obtain any moral, political or financial benefit from society through football. Political symbols and political slogans discredit football as a sport, which should be independent from politics.

RECOMMENDATIONS

To parties and potential candidates:

• The nomination of single-mandate and party list candidates should be done transparently and be based on understandable mechanisms of internal party democracy;
• The participants of the electoral process – parties and potential candidates – should organize their campaigns within Ukraine’s legal framework and recognized international standards on fair and democratic elections;
• The campaign financing process should be transparent and information on campaign resources should be completely public. 

To the media:

Media outlets should avoid posting paid materials on political issues unless they are clearly marked as advertisement. As a progressive section of the society, journalists have a professional responsibility to provide truthful information to voters;

• The media should keep editorial policies and journalistic standards when informing society on actual social and political events of both regional and state levels, in particular on activities of political parties and their representatives;
• Journalists should balance thoughts and opinions in materials describing activities of local authorities and incumbents by using the comments of independent experts or representatives of opposition forces.

To the Central Election Commission of Ukraine

• The CEC should adopt a resolution with official guidelines on the prohibition of public officials participation in the electoral process;
• The election authorities should adopt a resolution with official guidelines on conducting covert election campaigning with public funds when a candidate takes part in official events of the state or local authorities.

To the National Agency for Civil Service of Ukraine

• The agency should develop and adopt regulations aimed at ensuring the political impartiality of civil servants and municipal officials in the electoral process;
• The agency should establish transparent controls over the implementation of current legislation by civil servants in matters relating to the electoral process. 

To the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, the Regional Departments of Labor and Social Welfare

• To ensure transparency in the work of temporary social workers, given the public interest and allegations that these positions were created for electoral gain, the ministry should:
• publish the official staffing plans and job descriptions of employees; and
• publish information and give an explanation on official wage rates for temporary social workers, as well as funding sources for these positions after November 1, 2012.

To the officials of the national and local authorities

• Officials should return to the practice of taking leave when participating in party activities or election processes, which was previously legally mandated in Ukraine;
• Officials should refrain from conducting any campaigning;
• Authorities should ensure that all legislative candidates have equal access to official public events.

To the law enforcement and supervisory authorities

• Before and during the electoral campaign, authorities should abstain from conducting unscheduled inspections of enterprises and institutions related to the participants in the political process to avoid allegations of political persecution;
• Authorities should provide an impartial treatment to all participants in the electoral campaign and ensure the protection of law and order during political events and activities;
• Law enforcement should respond quickly to reports of political pressure or threats aimed at politicians and political party activists.

POLITICAL PARTY ACTIVITIES

The main trends of the election campaign in June were the solution of inner-party organizational issues and an increase in the number of campaign events aimed at raising visibility of candidates. Political parties continued to build the structure of pre-electoral staffs. The most active nationwide leaders, who visited certain oblasts and constituencies, were Oleg Tyahnybok and Vitali Klitschko. Still, this month the most popular ways of pre-election campaigning were outdoor advertising (billboards, city lights) and advertising in the media. These methods are being used mostly by the political project "Ukraine-Forward!" and Victor Medvedchuk’s initiative "Ukrainian Choice.". The number of outdoor activities such as rallies, pickets and tent campaigns has increased significantly. They were most often devoted to the "language" issue, including the consideration in Parliament of a bill introduced by S. Kivalov and V. Kolisnychenko. Politicians are actively using holidays to organize sports and entertainment events, distribute gifts[1] and prizes. Public discussions of parties’ electoral programs have become new instrument of public relations and information events. The United Opposition "For the Motherland" is the leader, while the Communists and Party of Regions carried out presentations mostly within the circle of party members. The idea of conducting primaries to select candidates within political organizations has not been used by parties had for various reasons.

The selection of electoral teams

In most cases, the selection of parties’ electoral teams is not sufficiently transparent. This is due to the unregulated issue at the legislative level as well as the desire of parties not to announce the internal party and organizational activity. However, in June, some political forces announced the launch of their structures.

During June, parties that are part of the United Opposition "For the Motherland" deployed teams, and publicly named their leaders in 20 regions (Vinnytsya Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsky, Cherkasy Chernivtsi, Kherson, Mykolayiv Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Uzhgorod, Rivne, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Lugansk, Sumy, Crimea, Kirovograd, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava). Given the nature of the association, executive positions in electoral teams of "For the Motherland" were divided between member of parties AUU "Motherland" and "Front of Change". Other political forces also are actively working to develop their electoral organizational structures, but few are announcing personnel decisions. OPORA observers noted activity of Party of Regions staff in Vinnytsya, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsky, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya and Kirovograd. In most locations, teams are headed by deputies of local councils or leaders of the respective party organizations. The key objective for the structures at this stage is to mobilize members and supporters for campaign activities, and to find people who will represent the party in the election commissions.

In many regions, the activation of the electoral activities of political parties began with the visit of the national leaders. Thus, in June there were trips of the heads of: “UDAR” – Vitali Klitschko (Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Cherkasy, Kirovograd); Union "For the Motherland!" – Arseniy Yatseniuk with Mykola Tomenko (Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Mykolayiv) and with Vyacheslav Kyrylenko (Zakarpattia), Andriy Shkil (Vinnytsya, Cherkasy), Andriy Pyshnyi (Chernivtsi), Gennady Moskal (Donetsk ) Olexandra Kuzhel (Poltava); "Ukraine-Forward!" – Natalia Korolevska (Kherson); Party of Regions – Mykola Azarov (Kharkiv), Serhiy Tigipko (Mykolayiv, Kherson, Crimea), Raisa Bogatyryova (Vinnytsya), Alyona Bondarenko (Zhytomyr); and VO "Svoboda" – Oleg Tyahnybok (Volyn, Rivne, Chernivtsi, Donetsk, Kirovograd). Usually, visits were used for meetings with party leaders, the public presentation of candidates and meetings with voters. Only the representatives of Party of Regions conducted these visits as official travel in their role of government officials.

Parties’ campaign activities

The most common methods of pre-election campaigning remain outdoor advertising and advertising in the media. This month, Natalia Korolevska’s party " Ukraine-Forward!" was a leader in the number of advertisements on billboards and city lights and in the number of publications in local media. At the same time, the content of Natalia Korolevska’s materials has not changed during the last two months. The outdoor advertising of Vitali Klitschko’s party UDAR is also significant; it promotes the party and in some oblasts announces visits by its leader. Examples of centralized placement of political advertising at the regional level include the materials of Victor Medvedchuk’s project "Ukrainian Choice": the direct customer is Kyiv’s office, which sometimes is not careful enough to take into account specific regional realities. Thus, in western oblasts the party placed billboards in Russian and sent postcards also in Russian. The Party of Regions uses mostly outdoor advertising for greetings on holidays and important events. However, in the southern regions, such as Zaporizhzhya, Kherson and Crimea, the party posted billboards containing advertisements of President Yanukovych’s social initiatives of (“Social initiatives of the President of Ukraine – we support!”) and appealing to voters ("We appreciate your confidence!").

Opposition political parties have increased dramatically the number of advertisement. The United Opposition "For the Motherland" placed billboards featuring Yulia Tymoshenko and Arseniy Yatsenyuk in all regions of the country, although more emphasis was made in the western and central oblasts. Billboard activity of other political forces has regional specificity. For example, the Communist Party of Ukraine uses outdoor advertising in Zhytomyr, Zakarpattya, Zaporizhzhya, Khmelnytsky, Kherson, Kirovograd oblasts, and VO "Svoboda" in Khmelnytsky and Mykolaiv oblasts. Smaller political forces as the Party of Veterans of Afghanistan (Crimea) and the Party "The Truth" (Kirovograd) promote their activities only in one region.

(rallies, demonstrations, pickets). Association "For the Motherland" and its political partners of the Committee of resistance to dictatorship, including VO "Svoboda", in oblast and rayon centers in most regions of the country held a protest action named "For the language, for the Motherland!" These events were organized in Vinnytsya, Volyn, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Ternopil, Rivne, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi and Kharkiv oblasts. During the activities, opposition politicians and intellectuals protested against the adoption by Parliament of the “language” draft law of Kolesnichenko-Kivalov. In western and central regions (Volyn, Zhytomyr, Lviv, Ternopil oblasts), at the initiative of VO "Svoboda" deputies, local councils conducted extraordinary sessions during which they appealed to the leaders of the State on the inadmissibility of introducing a second official language in Ukraine. Similar initiatives were proposed by deputies of local councils of the party "For Motherland" even in Cherkasy oblast, but the opposition managed to achieve success only in two city councils – Korsun and Talne. In Ternopil oblast, political forces that are members of the Committee of Resistance to the Dictatorship additionally created an Oblast Committee for the Protection of the Ukrainian Language (http://www.svoboda.org.ua/diyalnist/novyny/030802). A statement was made by 55 members of the Academic Council and teachers of the Training and Research Institute of Ukrainian Philology and Social Communications of Cherkasy National University of Bohdan Khmelnytsky (http://tyzhden.ua/News/53626), despite the fact that the rector of this university is Anatoliy Kuzminskyi, deputy head of the regional organization of the Party of Regions. The "language" issue has divided to some extent the pro-government parliamentary camp. For example, in Volyn oblast many of deputies from the People's Party, who coordinate their actions with local authorities, have supported such appeals prepared by opposition. And in Lutsk rayon, council deputies of the People's Party, together with a faction of the Party of Regions, have initiated a similar statement by themselves.

At the same time, in the eastern and southern oblasts the Party of Regions conducted a number of public activities to support the controversial draft law and to protect Russian language. Within the campaign "We want to speak our native language," activists of the Party of Regions in Dnipropetrovsk oblast gathered signatures to support the draft law.. Similar activities took place under different names in Lugansk, Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts. Under the flags of the Party of Regions, a citywide cleaning day was held in Dnepropetrovsk during which employees of educational and medical institutions, and municipal utility services cleaned parks, gardens, green areas and city streets.

VO "Svoboda" activists continued to raise the issue of low purchasing prices for milk, for which they organized and joined strikes and protests in Zhytomyr, Volyn and Cherkasy oblasts. The so-called “marches for the protection of Ukrainians” were organized by “svobodivtsi” in Khmelnytsky rayon centers and in Zolotonosha of Cherkasy oblast – “the march of greatness of spirit.” In Mykolayiv, supporters of VO "Svoboda" protested against the transfer of a land plot from the city tram depot to build a market. Due to an injunction preventing the party from conducting any rally during the June 19 to 22 Festival Maidan in Zaporizhzhya, at the initiative of "svobodivtsi" club a concert-protest was held against the oppression of Ukrainian language. In Dnepropetrovsk region, VO "Svoboda" held ideological and training camp for activists from six oblasts.

The Communist Party of Ukraine carried out the second stage of its activity "People's referendum – survey", which aims to identify problems that concern citizens the most . Local CPU branches even conducted various local actions. In the city of Zhytomyr, the Communist Party of Ukraine organized demonstrations against the demolition of the monument to Vladimir Lenin. In the oblast and rayon centers in Kherson region, they organized a protest against and administrative-territorial reform. In the city of Borispol in Kyiv oblast, Communists conducted an environmental campaign to collect garbage at the local lake, and in Vyshgorod the party conducted an event against raising tariffs for housing.

"UDAR" is using the idea of activists from Odessa to stroke and mark in white paint pits on the roads. "UDAR" activists conducted the activity “Lets hit pits with paint” in the city of Kyiv, and in Chernivtsi and Rivne oblasts.

One of the forms of political activity of the United Opposition "For the Motherland!" is the organization of regional public discussions and round tables on the presentation of the party’s election program "Just State. Honest authorities. Decent life." During these events, opposition politicians call for the public to make their own proposals to the text of the program. Such meetings have been already held in 12 regions (Khmelnitsk, Cherkassy, Vinnitsa, Nikolayev, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Simferopol, Lutsk, Uzhgorod, Rivne, Kharkiv and Donetsk). In certain regions, other parties are discussing their election programs. In particular, the Communist Party is carrying out promotional and information activities aimed at informing voters about the content of its draft platform "We will return the country to the people!" in Khmelnytsky oblast. The concept of the election program of the Party of Regions was discussed during the rayon and city conferences of political force in Kharkiv oblast.

This month, political parties actively used various public holidays and memorable dates for campaigning, including: International Children's Day, Day of Medical Workers, Youth Day and the Day of Constitution of Ukraine, Day of mourning and remembrance of the victims of war in Ukraine, and the anniversary dates of certain cities. Some parties, mainly the Party of Regions, took part in celebrations organized by local authorities, while others organized their own.

Parties began to actively use these events, some targeted directly at children, for political propaganda. The most active was the youth wing of the Party of Regions, "Young Regions", which held events in Zhytomyr, Volyn, Lviv, Kirovohrad and Sumy oblasts. In Zhytomyr, "Young Regions" organized walks in Yuri Gagarin Park for children from orphanages, and in Zhmerynka they offered free showings of cartoons in 3D format. Rayon centers in Lviv oblast were visited by activists, who donated gifts to children's shelters. Tye party’s youth organization also organized karaoke competitions, free concerts and sporting competitions.

Other political forces and their youth wings conducted activities related to the International Day of Children's Rights: VO “Motherland” in Vinnytsya oblast; VO “Svoboda” in Cherkasy; CPU in Kherson, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Kirovograd; “Front of Changes” in Lviv and Kyiv; and “UDAR” in Zakarpattya. In addition, "UDAR" also used activities of Klitschko Brothers Foundation for informational purposes.

On Children’s Day, the Communists held a creative event, “Ice cream for Soviet prices,” in Izyum of Kharkiv oblast. Komsomolets activists sold ice cream for 20 kopiykas and explained the social benefits of the Soviet Union. "UDAR" leader Vitali Klitschko personally took part in tour excursions of the capital for 15 children from large and low income families of five rayons of Kyiv oblast.

Public discussion of candidates for the VRU

Even though the campaign period officially begins in one month, local branches of parties are not publicly discussing possible candidates to Parliament. The selection processes are conducted mostly behind the scenes and without the participation of either voters or ordinary party members. At this stage, political parties are taking polls to determine the level of electoral support of potential candidates.

Examples of parties conducting primary elections are rare. Some oblast committees of the Communist Party of Ukraine recommended the party congress to nominate candidates for MPs in Volyn, Donetsk, Khmelnytsky and Luhansk. The Party of Regions conducted meetings of primary party organizations and conferences of local branches to discuss potential candidates before the official nomination in Crimea, Zaporizhzhya, Zakarpattya, Ternopil, Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts.

On June 14 in Lviv, the Committee of Resistance to the Dictatorship organized interviews with four potential candidates for MPs: MP Volodymyr Vyazivskyi, journalist Dmytro Dobrodomov, UP Chairman “Sobor” Stepan Sereda and the deputy chairman of URP, Rostyslav Novozhenets. The events were not announced in advance. Videos of some of these interviews were posted on the Internet, and opposition parties in Lviv are planning to continue their own practice of "primaries." (http://vgolos.com.ua/events/635.html).

Some parties have begun to conduct public events to present potential candidates. United Opposition "For the Motherland!" has presented its nominees in majoritarian constituencies of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Zhytomyr and Cherkasy oblasts. At the same time, Arseniy Yatseniuk refused to name candidates in majoritarian constituencies during his visit to Zakarpattya oblast. As he explained, this information is not reported to prevent pressure on potential candidates. Opposition parties have selected their candidates, and are asking voters for their input. "Ukraine-Forward!" in Kherson oblast and the "UDAR" in Ivano-Frankivsk and Kherson oblasts have presented their nominees to majoritarian constituencies.

Some political parties and candidates conducted primaries this month. In district 165 (center – Zboriv, Ternopil oblast), Valentyn Nalyvaychenko ran unopposed, but used the primary period as an opportunity to campaign.

In Makiyivka of Donetsk oblast, the Party of regions conducted a vote among 10,000 members of district organizations to select party nominees for district 55 (center – Hirnytskyi district of Makiyivka). In conferences in the Soviet and Hirnyatskyi city districts, the party announced that 90 percent of participants supported the nomination of Valery Omelchenko, leader of the NGO "Civil Initiative.". Based on these results, rayon conferences of the PRU recommended that the party’s oblast meeting nominate Omelchenko.

Among all political organizations, only "Ukraine-Forward!" is organizing a nationwide primary for its national list. In June, would-be candidates could fill in a form at the specially created website "National List". Later in the month, the entire list of candidates was released on the web portal for public discussion. Citizens can vote for the candidates either on the Internet or in specific outdoor areas. The party pledged to include the winners of preferential voting in its election list.

PRE-ELECTION ACTIVITIES OF POTENTIAL CANDIDATES

Potential candidates are intensively working with voters in majoritarian constituencies. They have been able to resolve organizational and financial problems associated with the building of election teams and the beginning of campaigning more quickly than parties. The most persistent and active at the regional level are current Party of Regions MPs,followed by the People's Party, the CPU, VO "Motherland", "Front of Change" and "Our Ukraine.. The local representatives of public authorities and the government, top managers of enterprises and businessmen are no less actively preparing for the election along with the elected officials. The key rationale for this phase of the campaign is to maximize the candidates’ recognition within their constituencies. Each prospective candidate is trying to "consolidate the constituency," that is, to introduce themselves in the public eye as a major participant in the race and potential winner. For maximum effect, candidates simultaneously and comprehensively use various forms of campaigning: direct meetings with voters; charitable assistance; conducting or supporting social, cultural and sports events; presentation of awards; hidden advertising in the media; outdoor advertising; and street agitation. Regular meetings with voters, owning a charitable foundation and publishing or controlling the media are mandatory campaign elements for candidates disputing majoritarian elections. The main feature of the campaign is the activity of candidates focused on the specific district where they are running. An increasing amount of hidden campaigning and political activity closer to the formal stage of the campaign demonstrates the direct electoral interest of potential candidates.

A month before the official start of the electoral campaign, the public activities of potential candidates in single seat constituencies is more intense compared to those of party structures. Representatives of both the ruling party and independent candidates, usually local businessmen and managers, are currently active. Candidates from opposition parties are less visible and have not begun conducting systematic campaigns. This is mostly the result of a protracted candidate approval process within United Opposition, and between this structure and other parties, including VO "Svoboda".

Potential candidates from the Party of Regions prevail in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, especially in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Kherson, Mykolayiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhya oblasts, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and, to a lesser extent, in Sumy and Zakarpattya oblasts and the city of Kyiv. Also active are the majoritarian candidates from the CPU in Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad and Sumy oblasts; the People's Party in Zhytomyr and Zaporizhzhya oblasts; Single Center in Zakarpattya oblast; UDAR in Ternopil oblast; and "Front of Change" in Chernivtsi oblast. Representatives of VO "Svoboda" currently are showing only episodic activity in the constituencies of western oblasts of Ukraine, in particular Ternopil, Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk. However, current and former heads of local authorities and governments, which usually do not advertise their party preferences and often are positioned as independent candidates, are deploying electoral campaigns in all regions.

At this stage of the campaign, all categories of majoritarian candidates are using some standard forms of work: meetings with voters, providing charitable assistance to citizens, offering congratulations on the occasion of festive dates, organization and participation in cultural, artistic or sporting events, public speaking at events, dissemination of information in the media and outdoor advertising.

In the context of charitable activities, during the reporting period potential candidates often opened or improved playgrounds (especially in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zakarpattya, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsya and Chernivtsi oblasts), gave children tickets to the water parks and movies (especially in Zaporizhzhya, Chernihiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts), sponsored a wellness holiday for children (particularly in Zakarpattya and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts), presented medical equipment to hospitals (especially in Kyiv, Chernigiv, Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr and Khmelnytsky oblasts), presented sports equipment and household appliances to children (particularly in Lviv and Cherkasy oblasts); presented awards on special occasions (all regions); repaired elevators; and inaugurated street lighting and asphalt roads (particularly in Mykolayiv and Zhytomyr oblasts). None of the prospective candidates forgot to congratulate the voters of his or her constituency on the International Day for Children's Rights, the Day of Medical Worker or Journalist Day.

EXAMPLES

In Zakarpattya oblast,  Stepan Derkach, deputy of the regional council from the Party of Regions sponsored a kite festival in Khust, including materials for making kites and prizes, certificates and awards to the winners. For the feast of the first of June, Mykhailo Shelever, deputy of the regional council organized festivals, competitions, entertainment and sports tournaments for children of Tyachiv and Rakhiv rayons. Also, over 600 participants of celebration of Children's Day in Vynogradiv received sweets and prizes from Regional Council Deputy Ivan Bushko and rayon deputies. Mothers with many children also got honorary awards, flowers and gifts on behalf of the deputy. Pavlo Baloha, regional council deputy from "Single Center," attended the mowers festival in Velyatyno village of Khust rayon. On his behalf, the winners were awarded valuable prizes, and five LCD televisions were drawn.

In Mykolayiv oblast, the head of PRU faction in the Regional Council, Mykola Zhuk, (a potential candidate in district 129) is building a campaign on solving people’s specific problems of people, such as a broken elevator, the lack of lighting in the yard, unpaved internal quarterly passages and others.

In Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, the  charitable foundation "For Good", which operates under the patronage of Bogdan Hdychynskyi, a member of the Party of Regions and regional council deputy, presents books to the village libraries, organizes various excursions for educators, is engaged in landscaping Shevchenko Park in Kolomyia, illuminates the city center of Horodenka, and organizes karaoke parties. Future majoritarian candidate Oleksandr Shevchenko (director of the tourist complex "Bukovel") holds in "Bukovel" a social camp for children of socially vulnerable families, young talents and young athletes from the city of Ivano-Frankivsk.

In Zaporizhzhya oblast, with financial support from Valery Baranov of the People's Party, the future schoolchildren of the city of Berdyansk and Berdyanskyi, Kuibyshevskyi, Rozivskyi and Chernigivskyi rayons have the opportunity to spend a day in the Berdyansk Water Park for free. The campaign benefited more than three thousand children and lasted from June 5 to 15. Petro Sabashuk (district 74), assists in the financing of recreational rest for children from large families. Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Volodymyr Bandurov (district 79), took part in the celebration of Day of the Medical Worker in Kamyansko-Dniprovskyi and Vasylivskyi rayons of the oblast. The official donated a modern electrocardiograph to the Kamyansko-Dniprovskyi Central Hospital. With the support of MP Artem Pshonka (PR), over 100 children of privileged categories from Veselivskyi, Mykhailivskyi, Pryazovskyi, Tokmak and Yakymivskyi rayons were healed in the "Treasure Island" aquatic park and dolphinarium of Kyrylivka town.

In Lviv oblast, Iryna Sekh, a potential candidate and the head of the faction of the All-Ukrainian Union “Svoboda” in Lviv oblast council, and several other members of “Svoboda” participated in opening a new stadium in the Brody rayon and donated to the local team football jerseys purchased with funds from the regional budget.

In Cherkasy oblast, MP Bogdan Gubsky and the administration of the Budyshche village opened a brand new playground. It was built jointly by the local village council and the MP, who last year launched the sports and recreation program "Health of the Nation".

In Zhytomyr oblast, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Lytvyn met during an official visit to district 65 with medical workers and presented them with bicycles, tonometers, other equipment and facilities. Lytvyn also organized excursions to the VRU for journalists from the oblast and World War II veterans from his constituency. MP Vitaly Zhuravskyi set up 12 playgrounds and is repairing roads with budget grants in the 66th district.

In Dnipropetrovsk oblast, the deputy mayor of Dnipropetrovsk, Anatoly Krupski (PRU), conducted informal meetings with voters of his constituency. At the event, the official talked to the citizens, took note of their requests, and promised to help and return to report on the results. Ivan Stupak (PRU), deputy head of the oblast administration, launched the social project "Weekend Club " by providing free tickets to children from vulnerable groups to watch cartoons in the “Pravda” movie theater.

In Rivne oblast, on the occasion of International Children's Day the potential candidate and honorary chairman of the charity fund "Love Ukraine", Danylo Korylkevych, awarded the winners of All-Ukrainian competitions and contests. The general director of «Agro-Express-Service", Serhiy Kostyuchko, and the firm’s union participated in the celebrations on the occasion of 361th anniversary of the Berestetska battle. The Cossack camp was organized with company support. A variety of cultural and artistic activities, sports and popular entertainment was held, and participants enjoyed the Ukrainian national cuisine.

In Khmelnytsky oblast (in Dunaivtsi), on the occasion of the Medical Workers Day Oleksandr Hereha gifted 15 tickets for the Euro 2012 match in Donetsk between Ukraine and England, provided transportation to the match, and donated 300 sets of bed linen for the hospital. On Medical Workers Day, the deputy of the regional council, Serhiy Labazyuk, congratulated the workers of Khmelnitsky Central rayon and Chornoostrivsky district hospitals and provided both hospitals with sets of bed linen, tonometers and electric kettles.

Also, potential candidates (especially in Ukraine’s western and central oblasts) publicly stated their opposition to the language draft law of Kolisnichenko-Kivalov. Candidates expected to run in majoritarian constituencies, actively reacted to this topic in Ternopil oblast (representatives of “Svoboda” and UDAR), in Lviv, Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, and to some extent in Zakarpattya oblast.

Future candidates are willing to entertain voters with the performance of music bands. For example, in Kharkiv oblast, at the invitation of MP Vasyl Grytsak, a concert was given by the band S-Klass, and Honoured Artist of Ukraine Kateryna Buzhynska. Disco-band “Freestyle” performed at the invitation of Oleksandr Bilovol. In Zaporizhzhya oblast, a concert of the People's Artist of Ukraine Pavlo Zibrov and Honoured Artist of Ukraine Kateryna Buzhynska was held at the invitation of PRU’s MP Artem Pshonka. In Chernihiv oblast, Vladyslav Atroshenko (former head of the oblast state administration) organized a festival of creative youth, “Chernigiv the best,” with Verka Serduchka, singer In-Grid, the band "Marigolds" and others. In Khmelnytsky oblast, potential majoritarian candidate Vladimir Bedrykivskyi helped conduct performances of the music bands “TiK” and “Tartak” and Victor Pavlik during the festival "Dzhuryn." The band “TiK” also played at the festival “Bratyna”, sponsored by Volodymyr Klymenko. In Sarny in Rivne oblast, with financial support from the leader of the VO "Motherland"faction in the Rivne Regional Council, Mykola Kucheruk, a concert was held with the famous Ukrainian band "Mandry" and Rivne singer and composer Sashko Nevzhe. In Zakarpattya oblast, the music festival "Echo of Menchul" was conducted with the support of Pavlo Baloga.

Observers noted some instances when politicians, who previously showed significant propaganda activity in the region, are finishing their work. In Zaporizhzhya oblast, the head of the Vasilevsky Rayon State Administration, Serhiy Grachev, refused to fight for a parliamentary seat. He conceded district 79 in favor of Volodymyr Bandurov, the deputy minister of Economic Development and Trade. In the same region, the head of the oblast state administration, Oleksandr Peklushenko, introduced Mykola Frolov as the new rector of the Zaporizhzhya National University. Frolov is the head of the "Batkivshchyna" faction in the regional council, and was considered until recently as a potential candidate in district 75.

BRIBING THE VOTERS, ELECTORAL CHARITY

In Ukraine, the majoritarian component of the electoral system largely encourages candidates to bribe voters. Actors in the electoral process often prefer its indirect form – the distribution of goods and services as gifts and charity between election periods. The formally legitimate tool of political philanthropy was specially created for candidates’ charitable foundations. Their activity is reduced to the transfer of property or services to official institutions (educational, health, culture, and social) and target populations (students, parents, senior citizens, health professionals, youth, teachers, clergy). The foundations are involved in celebrations and mass social and cultural events, during which they hand out awards and prizes. Materials, leaflets and booklets with elements of hidden propaganda are added to the gifts. This illegal method of campaigning is used by MPs, officials at various levels and entrepreneurs.

Holiday electoral gifts

June includes two professional holidays celebrating journalists and doctors. Potential candidates for majoritarian constituencies have fully used the opportunity to increase their own level of electoral recognition among employees of medical institutions and media personnel.

However, OPORA was able to observe more cases of candidates mobilizing supporters among the physicians than among journalists. However, media employees are also under the close attention of candidates. For example, in Volyn oblast, on the occasion of the Day of Journalist, the father of Igor Palytsya (NU-NS), an MP and potential candidate, presented a certificate for 100,0000 UAH for the completion of an international health center for journalists on Lake Svitiaz.

With regard to Medical Workers Day, the future candidates for majoritarian constituencies raced to donate equipment and appliances to the hospitals, and most doctors received cash incentives. In particular:

• On behalf of Pavlo Baloga, regional council deputy for "Single Center," Zakarpattya doctors were given three tonometers, 10 Glucometers and an electrocardiograph, while employees got gifts such as champagne and chocolates.
• To celebrate Medical Workers Day, the head of the Vinnytsya regional center of "Front of Change," Sergiy Kudlayenko, donated televisions to all hospitals of Vinnytsya. Mykola Kucher, a member of the regional council, presented gift sets to all employees of clinics in district 17 that included bath towels, a notebook featuring the candidate and pens with the name of the candidate.
• Doctors of Ivano-Frankivsk clinic number 2, who were greeted by Alexander Shevchenko, director of the tourist complex "Bukovel," received as a gift the opportunity to relax in the popular resort.
• In Zmiev rayon of Kharkiv oblast, Eugene Murayev, potential candidate for majoritarian constituency and head of the rayon state administration, donated two sets of computer equipment to the Zmiev Central District Hospital, two microwave ovens to the Komsomolsk city hospital, microwave ovens to Taranivsky and Sheludkivsky village departments of general practice of family medicine and gifts for all health care workers in rural areas of the rayon.
• In Ternopil oblast, during the Medical Workers Day Volodymyr Klymenko (head of "Ukrinbank" and president of the “Halychyna-Volyn” foundation) presented certificates and cash prizes for best hospital workers in Kremenets, Pidvolochysk and Skalat. Klymenko also donated equipment worth UAH 20,000 to the X-ray department of Skalat hospital.
• In Donetsk oblast, Denis Omelyanovych, a member of Parliament and potential candidate of the Party of Regions in district 49, used the occasion of Medical Workers Day to present to representatives of the authorities of Konstantinovsky and Krasnoarmiysky rayons and the cities of Konstantinovka and Druzhkivka the keys to "Sens" vehicles, which will be used by local ambulatories during patient care. Sergei Klyuyev, a member of Parliament and potential Party of Regions candidate in district 46, presented certificates for UAH 100,000 to two medical institutions of Artemivsk and Artemivsk rayon.
• In Zhytomyr oblast, Vitaly Zhuravsky, an MP from the Party of Regions and potential candidate in district 66, "has given" envelopes with money to the employees of the Brusyliv rayon hospital. Mykola Rudchenko, and MP from the People's Party in the same district, during celebrations of Medical Workers Day gave doctors in Narodychi rayon certificates and envelopes with money. Speaker Lytvyn presented 400 tonometers, 100 bicycles and two dental units to the Novograd-Volynsk rayon hospital.
• MP Bogdan Gubsky visited dozens of towns and villages in Cherkasy rayon, where there are FAPs, outpatient clinics and hospitals, in particular Kaniv and Zolotonosha rayons. In all villages visited by Gubsky, doctors have received bicycles and first-aid bags with medicines.
• In Poltava oblast, under the patronage of the public association "Our Home – Poltava", headed by potential candidates Olexander Zaluzhny and Volodymyr Makar, medical staff received, for the needs of healthcare institutions, certificates for ten Lada "Sens" vehicles, two "Gazelle" ambulances, 10 apartments in Poltava, cash gifts, and certificates for the purchase juice machines, vacuum cleaners, microwave ovens, bread makers, food processors, television sets, washing machines and refrigerators. Healthcare institutions received cash certificates for improvements, the purchase of medical equipment and computers, and the replacement of windows.

Electoral charitable foundations

At this stage of the campaign, charitable foundations are used by future candidates as a hidden tool to bribe voters. The main goal of this type of charitable organizations is to promote the future candidate and to gain the support of the target audience. This is indicated by the geography of the foundations, which are usually limited to an election constituency, and major media support for their work, whose costs often exceed the value of implemented measures. In June 2012, on behalf of candidates these foundations gave gifts to voters, paid work and vacation and solved some social problems of citizens. The most representative examples are :

In Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, a major activity under the patronage of MP of Regional Council Bogdan Hdychynsky (Party of Regions) launched the foundation "For good". The most notable event of the foundation was the organization of a three-day trip to Austria for 150 persons to study the European experience of government. Most of the participatns were village heads and representatives of municipalities of an election constituency. In addition, the foundation coordinates the work on lighting the central streets of Horodenka; and presents bicycles to employees of the local social service center and post office in Horodenka rayon; regularly organizes karaoke parties in the streets of Horodenka and Kolomyia; and arranged an unofficial fan zone for the Euro 2012 tournament.

A mass "charitable" activity in Volyn oblast was launched by a deputy of the regional council from the Party of Regions, the co-owner of the business group "Continuum" Stepan Ivakhiv. His foundation is active in the villages of Kovel, Starovyzhiv and Ratne rayons, all of which belong to election district 21 (center – the city of Kovel). In each village, during personal meetings with citizens, the candidate presents gifts to schools, kindergartens, clubs, village clinics and village councils, including laptops, music centers, multimedia boards, television sets, toys, sports equipment, tennis tables, chairs, tables to check the view, quartz lamps and inhalers. The foundation also provides financial assistance for Internet service. In the schools the constituency, Ivahiv’s foundatoin is working on implementing energy-saving technologies, including replacing old windows and financing the transition to heating with solid fuel.

In Ternopil oblast, thanks to efforts of the "Halychyna-Volyn" foundation led by Volodymyr Klymenko, during May and June 500 children from poor families of Shumsk, Zbarazh, Kremenets, Lanovets and Pidvolochysk rayons have rested and healed in Crimea.

Atypical forms of electoral charity

The future candidates for majoritarian constituencies test various means of financial incentives for their target groups of voters. For example, in Khmelnytsky oblast MP Vasyl Shpak (People's Party) has insured all pupils of Starokostyantyniv from accidents and injuries. At the MP’s expense, 3,778 children studying in city institutions were insured for UAH 2,500 each in NJSIC “Oranta” for a total amount over UAH 50,000.

In June 2012, the reception of Sergiy Shakhov’s foundation continued to provide charitable financial assistance to poor citizens (in the amount of UAH 50 cash per person) in the cities of Stakhanov, Brianka, Pervomaisk, Popasnaya, Lysychansk, Alchevsk, Rubizhne and Krasnodon, and the Leninsky district of Luhansk. Such institutions are upset by the network scheme ("head-hundreds-tens") and are directed to obtain passport information of the voters that is provided by citizens with the application for financial assistance. Network scheme is that “the tens” are looking for poor and for each of the 10 voters receive little financial reward.

An interesting example of charity, which shows the integrated activity of several candidate foundations, is an activity to provide bicycles for village postmen. There was an information in the media that Vahram Gulian, the director of the Kharkov State Enterprise Directorate of postal service "Ukrposhta," appealed to his colleagues and members of the regional council for assistance in equipping village branches with bicycles. Dmytro Dobkin, Volodymyr Katsuba and the head of Zmiyiv Rayon State Administration Yevgen Murayev, who are potential candidates from PRU for majoritarian constituency and have their own charitable foundations, have donated around 450 bicycles to the village postmen of their constituencies.

In Crimea, in June parties began to distribute "social cards", in particular in Simferopol, Dzhankoy, Dzhankoy, Krasnogvardeysk, Yalta, Alushta and Lenin rayons and Kerch. The Party of Regions actively promotes this initiative of the national government. During ten days of the activity, 32,310 citizens who belong to the privileged categories became recipients. The highest number of recipients (8,674) were in the Kyiv district of Simferopol. Within the program, Crimeans will receive a discount up to 7 percent for goods, food, services and medicines. The discount card will be available for nine privileged categories of citizens by contacting the department of labor and social protection in their place of residence. Approximately 60,000 war and labor veterans will receive the card at home.

Eugene Morozenko, general director of the Dnipropetrovsk Aggregate Plant, covered "grants" for schoolchildren of Dnipropetrovsk in amount of UAH 50 each. The grants were distributed during school lines. On the envelope, the sender is specified as "Dnipropetrovsk city organization of the Party of Regions, from Yevgen Morozenko."

In February 2012, the Rivne oblast "Love Ukraine" charitable foundation announced a mini-grant contest to support the development of local communities. A total of UAH 100,000 was provided. The results of the competition were announced in April. The competition commission recommended financing 25 projects with an average of UAH 4,000. Almost all the winners represent Zdolbuniv, Dubno, Radyvyliv, Mlyniv and Demidov rayons. These rayons are part of district 154, where a potential candidate is the honorary chairman of the "Love Ukraine" foundation, Danylo Korylkevych. Since the local media regularly covers the implementation of projects, in this case it included information on the contribution by the foundation and the candidate.

A common practice is distribution of food packages. There were new cases in Luhansk (Volodymyr Medyanik), Kherson (Andriy Putilov, Ivan Vinnik), Poltava (Sergiy Kulinich), Kyiv (Tetiana Podashevska, Sergei Katsuba, Maxim Lutsky) and Rivne oblasts (Danylo Kurylkevych).

The list of active electoral charitable foundations of potential candidates for majoritarian constituencies:

Volyn oblast: "New Lutsk" (MP Igor Palytsya); "Volyn family" (Igor Yeremeyev, co-owner of the "Continuum" business group and member of the People's Party), the Charitable Foundation of Stepan Ivahiv, co-owner of "Continuum" and deputy of the regional council from the Party of Regions.

Donetsk oblast: Charitable Foundation of Igor Shkiria, MPfrom the Party of Regions; Charitable Foundation "Humanity" (Tetiana Bakhteeva, MP from the Party of Regions).

Kharkiv oblast: Charitable Foundation “Patriots” (Anatoliy Girshfeld).

Kyiv: Charitable Foundation “Family” (Onyshchenko Oleksandr, Party of Regions); Charitable Foundation “Building the future together” (Sergiy Katsuba, Party of Regions).

Ivano-Frankivsk oblast: Charitable Foundation “For good” (working under the patronage of Bogdan Hdychynskyi, regional council deputy and representative of the Party of Regions); "Charitable Foundation of Yuriy Derevyanko" (Yuriy Derevyanko, Front of Change); "Charitable Foundation of Kredisov" (non-partisan Vyacheslav Kredisov); Charitable Foundation “Boikivska Bartka” (Vasyl Bartkiv, UNP).

Rivne oblast: Charitable Foundation “Love Ukraine” (Honorary Chairman Danylo Korylkevych); Charitable Foundation “Our Land” (Vasyl Yanitskyi).

Ternopil oblast: Charitable Foundation “Halychyna-Volyn” (Volodymyr Klymenko).

Vinnytsya oblast: Demchak Foundation for the Promotion of Economic Development of the Region (Ruslan Demchak, chairman of the "Federation of Employers of Kyiv" council, was born in Lypovets); Foundation "Parent Land" (Oksana Kaletnyk).

Zhytomyr oblast: Charitable Foundation “Native Home” (Volodymyr Pekhov); Charitable Foundation of Volodymyr Lytvyn "The future Polissya"; Mykola Onishchuk Foundation; Charitable Foundation of Vitaly Zhuravsky.

Khmelnytsky oblast: Charitable Foundation “Blagovist” (Ivan Gladuniak); Charitable Foundation “Development of Podillya” (Viktor Bondar); Charitable Foundation "Strengthening of Communities" (Sergiy Buriak).

Chernivtsi oblast: Charitable Foundation of Ruslan Panchyshyn, former mayor of Novodnistrovsk from "Front of Change".

Chernigiv oblast: “The future of Chernigiv” (Oleksandr Sokolov, mayor of Chernigiv).

Poltava oblast: Charitable Foundation “Source of Dnipro” (Volodymyr Matytsyn).

PARTICIPATION OF OFFICIALS IN THE PRE-ELECTION CAMPAIGNS AND THE USE OF THE BUDGET INITIATIVES FOR CAMPAIGNING

A trend of the parliamentary campaign in Ukraine is the attempt of certain political forces and potential candidates to engage state employees in campaigning events. Such signs are recorded on a background of government projects to create a temporary network of social workers whose role is to explain to citizens the social initiatives of the President of Ukraine. Public observers, journalists and political actors record examples of political bias of social workers. Current MPs position themselves as lobbyists for the interests of election constituencies and publicly disseminate information on the amount of public funding that they have attracted to address local needs. There are a number of cases in which officials, who are planning to run in single-seat constituencies, use their service functions for campaigning.

In June 2012, significant attention was placed on initiatives by state and local authorities to introduce new temporary staff units in social services. The official reason for the staff expansion and increased funding for these services is the need to improve the measure of social initiatives of the President of Ukraine and the government. According to data presented by Deputy Prime Minister Sergiy Tigipko, there would be a total of 12,000 temporary social workers. The salary of new workers would be higher (about UAH 1,000) than that of similar positions in social services. All oblasts will receive targeted subsidies from the State Budget of Ukraine for the maintenance of a network of temporary social workers. Most of the staff units would be created in Poltava oblast (908); the smallest addition would be in Sevastopol (15 persons). The decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (http://www.licasoft.com.ua/index.php/component/lica/?href=0&view=text&base=1&id=1199753&menu=1) to implement the project resulted in sharp political conflicts, as there is an objective risk that the temporary workers would campaign for the Party of Regions and candidates from ruling parties. In particular, the Ternopil Regional Council did not support the redistribution of UAH 12 million of state subsidies to create 400 temporary jobs. Council deputies decided to verify the validity of the initiative to create new staff units and proposed to implement this project after the elections. In Sumy, OPORA observers recorded a case in which, during a visit to a 93-year-old pensioner, a social worker tried to figure out her political preferences. He also said that, with the assistance of the authorities, the pensioner would receive a device for digital television for free. Also in Sumy oblast, local journalists held their own investigation on the political bias of the new network of social workers. Posing as campaign managers of the Party of Regions, journalists called the local social services. Directors of these services readily reported that all recruited social workers were interviewed by the Party of Regions. There has been significant publicity around the investigation by journalist Mustafa Nayem of “Ukrainian Pravda” on the development by the Department of Labor and Social Protection of Zhytomyr Oblast State Administration of a list of supporters of the Party of Regions who work in the subordinate services.

OPORA observers note that the social initiatives of the President of Ukraine and the government have become a significant factor of electoral process. A pro-government campaign is being conducted under the pretext of informing voters through media of new local initiatives. In particular, a group of "social mobile offices" have begun to function, in which officials of various social services are conducting on-site receptions of citizens. Deployment of the government’s full-scale social projects, whose timing matches the election campaign, has considerable potential of political abuse.

In Volyn oblast, local inhabitants reported to OPORA the "voluntary-compulsory" nature of the involvement of budgetary institutions’ employees in the campaign of one of the candidates. Campaign staff of the local benefactor, MP Igor Palytsia, is recruiting teachers to work during campaigning with the help of school directors.

Potential candidates, especially current MPs, position themselves as lobbyists for the interests of particular election constituencies to attract resources from the State Budget of Ukraine. In this regard, some precedent was created by leaders of the Ukrainian parliament. Volodymyr Lytvyn (People's Party), speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and his deputy Adam Martyniuk (CPU) actively use their official status during their work in election constituencies. Martyniuk claims that he "lobbied" the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for UAH 10.8 million in funding for the social and economic needs of Kamin-Kashirsky and Kivertsi rayons (Volyn oblast). The last budget promise of Volodymyr Lytvyn is to finish building the Novohrad-Volynskyi rayon hospital (Zhytomyr oblast). The leaders of the legislative branch awarded future voters with certificates of Ministries and awarded the honorary title of mothers-heroines, which does not belong to their direct job function. Such election strategy of the leaders of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine promotes the uncontrolled use of administrative resources of the budget by other parliamentarians and officials.

Examples of June 2012 "initiatives" of potential candidates that are implemented by budgetary resources

Full name, position and party affiliation of the candidate	Amount of financing	Initiative	Territory of distribution of the initiative
Igor Rybakov, MP of Ukraine (parliamentary group "Reform for the Future”)	UAH 107 million	-      repairing schools and other social infrastructure; and -      installation of energy-saving boilers.	Shchors and Koryukivka rayons of Chernihiv oblast
Vitaly Zhuravsky, MP of Ukraine (Party of Regions)	UAH 12 million	-      Bridge repairs	Volodarsk-Volynsky rayon of Zhytomyr oblast
Adam Martyniuk, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (CPU)	UAH 10.8 million	-      reconstruction of kindergartens; and -      completion of construction of sewer facilities	Kamin-Kashirskiy and Kivertsi rayon of Volyn oblast
Vasyl Chudnov, MP of Ukraine (Party of Regions)	UAH 7 million	-      Measures of shores strengthening	Kosmach village of Kosiv rayon of Ivano-Frankivsk oblast
Mykola Rudchenko, MP of Ukraine (People's Party)	UAH 3.75 million	-      school repairs; and -      state subventions for social and economic development of territories	Narodychi rayon of Zhytomyr oblast

Potential candidates who can draw additional budgetary resources to their election district gain non-competitive advantages in the electoral process. Local authorities and media pay special attention to such initiatives of influential candidates, which generates unequal conditions for other political players even before the official start of campaigns.

Officials who are planning to run in single-mandate districts are frequently using their positions of power in their electoral interests. This is manifested in the use of official events for campaigning and raising budgetary resources for personal political purposes. For example, the Mykola Levchenko (Party of Regions), secretary of the Donetsk City Rada, coordinates the illumination of the private housing sector in his future constituency. Kherson Mayor Volodymyr Saldo (Party of Regions) combines existing activities of the City Rada with his own campaigning and involves communal media for coverage of his election activities. First Deputy of the Head of Rivne Oblast State Administration Anatoliy Yukhimenko (Party of Regions) and the Head of Tyachiv District Administration in Zakarpattia oblast Michael Shelever (Party of Regions) use official press offices and Internet resources to cover their political activities. In the Crimea Autonomous Republic, local leaders of the Party of Regions are using the "Social Card of Crimean Citizens" introduced by the Council of Ministers as a tool for public relations for their campaign.

Representatives of the Association "Svoboda", who occupy high positions in the western regions of Ukraine, also abuse their official events for their own campaigning. For example, the formal approval by the Head of the Lviv Oblast Rada Oleg Pankevych for excessive financing for repairing damaged roads in the Mostysk’ district is portrayed as an achievment of his political party. Sergiy Nadal, mayor of Ternopil and the potential majoritarian candidate from "Svoboda" Association presented multi-purpose beds to hospitals in his own name, when they were actually purchased by foreign investors.

Many of the local officials are publicly supporting specific political parties and their nominees in single-mandate districts. The heads of the Volyn, Zaporizhzhya, Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts made statements supporting certain candidates or political parties. During a meeting with parents having many children of the region, Oleksandr Peklushenko, head of the Zaporizhzhya Oblast State Administration, expressed confidence in the victory of the Party of Regions candidates in all the districts in the region. His speech appealed to regional patriotism and featured a "Fraction of Zaporizhzhia" in the Verkhovna Rada. Due to the fact that most of the heads of local administrations plan to directly participate in the election conference of local branches of the Party of Regions, the problem of separation of party and administrative activities is quite acute.

In all regions of Ukraine, there have been joint activities of local authorities and potential majoritarian candidates. For example, people's deputy of Ukraine Vladislav Lukyanov (Party of Regions), together with the head of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration Andriy Shyshatskyy, presented new cars for the militsiya of Khartsyzsk. His party colleague, people's deputy of Ukraine Artem Pshonka, with the heads of the Veselivsky, Yakymivsky, Mikhailivsky and Tokmak districts of Zaporizhzhia oblast, sent wishes to healthcare workers on their professional holiday. Mayor of Kharkov Gennady Kernes, heads of the departments of the City Rada and people’s deputies from the Party of Regions Irina Gorina, Valery Pisarenko and Dmitry Svyatash jointly hold meetings with voters. Valentine Zhukovskaya, honorary chairman of PrJSC "Nitrogen" and a potential candidate, became the face of the official celebration of the City Day of Cherkasy, as she has financed its activities.

Participation of officials in the election campaign affects the objectivity of municipal media, which operate with local budgets. In different regions, OPORA has observed an increase of budget financing of the media founded by local councils and administrations. In particular, Rivne Oblast State Administration contracted municipal newspaper "Word and Time" services to publish information about the activities of local state administrations and local governments for UAH 180,000. One-sided coverage of local politicians in this newspaper led to protests by opposition forces, who accused it of censorship. The pro-government majority in the Yuzhnoukraisk city council (Mykolaiv oblast) fired Tetyana Lokatska, chief editor of the municipal newspaper "Contact," who worked with former Mayor Andrew Stulina (Association "Motherland"). Political influence of local officials on municipal media is a feature of the election campaign in Ukraine.

In rare cases, local politicians have initiated discussions on the prevention of legal violations of elections. Member of Lutsk City Council Bohdan Shiba (elected by the quota of "For Ukraine!" party) introduced the council project "On the ensuring legality in Lutsk during preparation for elections of people’s deputies of Ukraine on October 28, 2012", and created a precedent in the current parliamentary campaign. The document contains provisions to warn the heads of municipal agencies and potential participants of the election of the impermissibility of violations of Ukrainian law. Despite its declarative nature, the support of the Lutsk Сity Rada would have indicated awareness of the local elites to the necessity of democratic electoral standards. However, the people’s deputies of Lutsk, who voted for this question three times, did not support their colleague’s proposal.

CONFLICTS RELATED TO THE FORTHCOMING ELECTION CAMPAIGN

The level of conflict during the campaign significantly increased due to the willingness of potential candidates in majoritarian constituencies to apply “black PR” methods against political opponents. The approval of the single candidate from the opposition in a district is accompanied by a local confrontation between the subjects of the process. OPORA observers receive alerts about cases of obstruction of potential candidates.

Conflicts in the process of candidate’s determination in constituencies

As we approach the official start of the campaign, the confrontation between political forces sharpened to identify candidates for single-member constituencies. This tendency is more characteristic of opposition parties, but pro-government forces also faced some misunderstandings. In particular, in the Rivne oblast members of the local branch of the ‘Committee for Dictatorship Resistance’ (CDR) - UNP, Ukrainian Platform "Cathedral", People’s Self-Defense, the NGO "Women of the Homeland" - protested that the candidates’ approval from United Opposition in majority constituencies of the region had not been publicized. According to the leaders of the regional branches of these political parties, the central leadership of Ukrainian Association "Motherland", Ukrainian Association "Svoboda" and party "Front of Change" ignored the opinion of local opposition activists in making decisions on majoritarian candidates.

In Ternopil oblast, the opposition criticized the candidacy of Nalyvaichenko, the former head of the Ukraine's Security Service, who plans to run in district 165 (center – Zboriv city). Nalyvaichenko stresses its adherence to the CDR, but in fact he campaigns as an independent. During a visit of Vitali Klitschko, leader of the "UDAR" party, to Cherkasy city, the representatives of the United Opposition demanded his public pledge to support single-majoritarian candidates, which prevented the politician from meeting with voters.

The process of approving pro-government candidates has not been easy in all regions. In particular, in Ternopil oblast two politicians cannot share district 164 (center – the Zbarazh city). In this constituency, both Orest Muts, people's deputy of Ukraine from the Party of Regions, and Volodymyr Klymenko, CEO of "Ukrinbank," run. Both candidates are counting on the support of local authorities and conduct anti-agitation activities. Instead, in the Zakarpattia oblast conflicts are sharpened between local leaders of the Party of Regions and the Single Center. These political forces have equivalent administrative resources, which prompted them to run against each other.

Transitions between parties

In June, several controversial transitions between parties happened, caused by political reorientation of local leaders. Most resonant is the decision of seven city and regional branches of the party “Ukraine-Forward!” in Volyn oblast to join the Ukrainian Association ‘Motherland’. In Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, influential members of ‘Our Ukraine’ party decided to join “UDAR” (former head of the Oblast State Administration Mykola Paliichuk, former leader of the «Our Ukraine» members in the Oblast Rada Taras Parfan and Mayor of the Yaremcha Vasil Onutchak). Mykola Zelinsky, deputy of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Rada and leader of the youth division of the Ukrainian Association ‘Motherland’, left his political party. This can be explained by the refusal of the United Opposition to approve his candidacy in district 84 (center – Tismenitsa city). A very specific situation arose from the temporary suspension of the head of the Vynnitsia regional branch of the Ukrainian People’s Party, Mykola Kuchera. The party’s headquarters announced that illness was the reason for Kuchera’s temporary suspension. However, in December 2011 Kuchera had joined the fraction of Party of Regions, which did not impact his leadership in the Ukrainian People's Party. At Cherkasy oblast, Vitali Klitschko, head of “UDAR,” announced that two deputies of city Rada would be expelled from the party.

Changes to the deputy’s structure of local councils

The election situation in Ukraine favors reformatting the deputy’s groups in local councils. The "Strong Ukraine" faction in the Zakarpattia Oblast Council self-destructed as its members joined the Party of Regions. In the same Rada, the ‘Single Center’ faction decided to expel deputy Michael Lan’ based on allegations that he conducted negotiations with the party of Regions on his nomination as candidate for district 70 (center –Svaliava city).

In the Chernivtsi City Rada, the group "For the Motherland!" was formed comprising deputies from the factions of ‘Front of Change’ and the Ukrainian Association "Motherland". Earlier, members of the "Motherland" faction who voted for the impeachment of City Mayor Mykola Fedoruk were expelled. In the Glybotsky District Rada of Chernivtsi oblast, splinter groups of the ‘Strong Ukraine” and Association "Motherland" factions formed the “UDAR” parliamentary association.

Two members of the Luhansk City Rada left the faction of the Communist Party of Ukraine. One of them, influential businessman Vladimir Medianik, joined the Party of Regions faction. Another deputy, chief editor of local newspaper Yuri Yurov, remained unaffiliated.

The resignation of City Mayors and other personnel rotation in the regions

In Ukraine, the number of city mayor resignations has increased. For example, in the Vinnytsia region the Zhmerynka City Council deputies impeached Mayor Zinovii Trachtenberg, who belonged to the Socialist Party of Ukraine.

Deputies of Borovytsya village of the Chyhyryn district of Cherkasy oblast impeached the village mayor Tatiana Zbarazka, a member of the ‘Union of Left Powers’. The impeachment of the village mayor was coordinated by the leader of the Party of Regions fraction in the Chigirin District Rada. In the same region, Maxim Polyakov, deputy mayor of Uman city and local leader of the party ‘Front of Change’ resigned on his own initiative. The official publicly attributed his decision to the lack of any prospects for his own activities under pressure from the Party of Regions. Ihor Pobera, head of the Physical Education and Sports Department of Ternopil Oblast Administration also voluntarily resigned his positions. Pobera is associated with opposition political forces. One of the leaders of the regional organization of Association ‘Motherland’, Vladimir Shulga, was excluded from the Executive Committee by decision of the Session of the Sumy city Rada. Local politicians associate this event with his intention to run for people's deputies of Ukraine.

Obstruction of political activities

The activation of local branches of parties and potential majoritarian candidates has been accompanied by an increasing number of reports of obstruction of their political activities. In particular, Vitali Klitschko, leader of the "UDAR" party, could not hold a meeting with citizens on the occasion of International Children's Day in Brovary city in Kiev oblast due to a ban from the city Rada. In its decision, the authorities argued they were taking preventive measures to prevent terrorism.

In Luhansk oblast, Sergei Shakhov, a known businessman and potential candidate, also alleged obstruction of political activities. Initially, the Militsya tried to detain him for holding an unauthorized meeting with the residents of a house in Pervomaysk city; later in the same city, police demanded that the candidate prove the legality of installing a playground. Shakhov’s lawyers managed to solve these misunderstandings. Cases of unprovoked detention of activists, damage to information materials and a ban fro farmers from meeting with him are also reported by Vasily Volkov, leader of the NGO "15 community" and potential candidate for people's deputies of Ukraine (Vinnytsia oblast). Regional Council Deputy Anatoliy Bondarenko, a possible candidate from the United Opposition of Cherkasy, was not allowed to meet with voters in a school of Talnivsky District, where he intended to report the results of its operations.

In Zhytomyr oblast, two prominent politicians were unable to divide their advertising space. Former Justice Minister of Ukraine Mykola Onischuk accused people’s deputy of Ukraine from Party of Regions Vitaly Zhuravsky of pressuring the owners of outdoor advertising. According to Onischuk, in district 66 (center – Malin city), his outdoor agitation was removed without legal basis, and the advertising spaces were taken by his opponent.

The use of dirty technologies, ‘black PR’ and spreading of false information

The use of black PR has become common practice in almost all regions of Ukraine. Potential majoritarian candidates are actively using these technologies to run unofficial campaigns to affect their competitors. Most often, dirty tricks are used in print media and in postcards. There have been many cases of anonymous dissemination of negative information about competitors. In particular, Opora observed cards entitled "Criminal clan of Landyk must not have a place in the Luhansk region", which were spread in the town of Krasny Luch of Luhansk region.

In district 164 (city of Zbarazh, Ternopil oblast), local media actively distributed publications entitled "Wolves from Luhansk in sheep's clothing", which negatively highlight charitable and political activities of Ukrinbank Chairman Volodymyr Klimenko. The materials actively exploited the fact that Klimenko is a native of Ternopil region but now resides in Luhansk. In response to these materials in the media, local citizens sent letters calling for people's deputy of Ukraine from the Party of Regions Orestes Muts not to obstruct Klimenko’s good works.

The recently founded newspaper ‘Fair Volyn’, which was registered only on June 6, 2012, disseminates in Kovel town negative information about the probable candidates, deputies of the Oblast Rada from the ‘Front for Change’ and the Party of Regions Ihor Huz’ and Ivan Smityuha.

Unknown NGO "Ukrainians against corruption" massively distributed in district 199 (center – the Zhashkiv city) a card aimed at Anatoliy Bondarenko, head of election headquarters of the United Opposition in the Cherkasy oblast. The registry of NGOs does not contain information on such organization.

The role of law enforcement and judicial authorities

In some regions, law enforcement and judicial authorities also participate in the political conflicts. For example, in Zhitomir and Donetsk oblasts leaders of the United Opposition alleged unlawful harassment of activists and party functionaries by law enforcement agencies. According to the opposition, in these regions there have been unscheduled inspections of businesses belonging to their sympathizers, and cases of abuse by officers. The tax audit of Yuri Wozniak, deputy of the Rivne City Council from the ‘Front of Change’, coincided in time with his nomination as the single candidate from the United Opposition in district 153 (center - Rivne city).

In Cherkasy, "Svoboda" was prohibited by judgment to conduct any mass actions from June 1 to 4. The Economic Court of Dnipropetrovsk region is considering a Dniprodzerzhynsk city council lawsuit against the private enterprise of Svoboda’s supporter Vladimir Kupriy. By court order, local authorities will eliminate advertising media where "Svoboda" adds information about its protest actions. Different problems arose in Association "Svoboda" in Luhansk, where Militsiya arrested activists putting up campaign materials in inappropriate places.

Criminal events involving political activists

With the participation of local politicians, several high-profile events of criminal nature took place. In Chernivtsi city, a local MP from the party "Front of Change" was killed, but law enforcement ruled that event had no political motives. There have been documented cases of physical attacks against political party representatives and persons connected with them. Three reports of beatings of political activists came from the Dnipropetrovsk oblast. In particular, the Nikopol city organization of "UDAR" reported an attack on his activist; the leader of the party, Vitali Klitschko, has expressed support for the victims. In Dniprodzerzhinsk, Association "Svoboda" also reported two attacks on party members. Andriy Iskra, head of the Snizhnyansk city branch of Association "Motherland" (Donetsk region), reported the beating by unidentified persons of guards of the cafe owned by his wife. According to party members, this case could be connected with a statement alleging fraudulent education credentials of Alexander Doronin, mayor of Snizhniy town. The official denies all charges. In Simferopol, unknown persons threw paint on the facade of UDAR’s office in the Crimean Republican and disrupted party symbols.

Pre-election conflicts involving media

Certain political forces are trying to gain control over media, as local councils are changing directors of state municipal newspapers and journalist groups report sporadic attempts of political pressure on them. There were some reports of sporadic attacks on media workers.

There was significant attention on a statement released by the chief editors of five newspapers in the Chernivtsi oblast ("Bukovina", "Time", "Versions", "Bucovina council", "View"). The media representatives accused local authorities of forcing citizens and public institutions to subscribe to controlled newspapers, creating non-competitive conditions in the market. The same problems were reported by the chief editor of "Volyn-nova," Alexander Zhoranets.

In protest for the decision of the Chernihiv District Rada to dismiss the chief editor of municipal newspaper "Our Land," almost all of its workers resigned. Journalists sent an open appeal to President Yanukovich and are waiting for his response. The Creative Union of Crimean Tatar Programs accused the leadership of the state broadcasting company "Crimea" of having political motives for removing the newscasts in Crimean Tatar language. In Brovary of Kyiv oblast, the car of Julia Starling, chief editor of the "Journal of Kyiv," was fired on. Association "Motherland" claimed that this crime was politically motivated, but there is still little objective data on the incident.

Using the Euro 2012 for agitation

Holding the European Football Championship "Euro-2012" in Poland and Ukraine before the parliamentary elections received the attention of politicians and parties. Certain potential candidates for deputies across the country used a great interest of Ukrainians in these events for their electoral purposes. Many local media devoted articles to the success of Euro-2012.[2]

One of the most common ways to use the Euro 2012 for political objectives was to distribute different kinds of information materials, particularly match calendars. For example, in early June in Berdyansk, Orikhiv, Pology and Yakymivsk districts of Zaporizhzhya oblast, activists of the NGO "Young Regions" held activities named "Euro 2012 in Ukraine - our victory!", where they disseminated information on the Euro 2012 in Ukraine and party information and propaganda leaflets. In the opening day of the championship, members of "Young Regions" distributed in Lutsk (Volyn oblast) flyers with the calendar of Euro 2012 matches. On behalf of Sergei Shakhov, a businessman and potential candidate for people's deputies, calendars with scheduled football matches of Euro 2012 were distributed in cities Stakhanov, Pervomaysk, Bryanka, Alchevsk, Kirovsk, Lisichansk of Luhansk oblast. The calendars were titled "Lets fan together! Sergei Shahov" and were signed by the businessman. The subject of Euro 2012 was used by Vitaly Zhuravsky, a potential candidate for deputy in district 66 (Malin city of Zhytomyr oblast) and current Member of Parliament from the PR for his political activities. On calendars produced with his own money with a schedule of Euro 2012 matches, there was a photo of the deputy with the forward of the Ukrainian National Team, Andriy Shevchenko. The calendars were signed "For Ukraine together! Vitaly Zhuravsky". This booklet calendar was distributed among sports organizations and voter districts. Shevchenko claimed that he was not involved in this campaign.

In some oblasts, politicians used the occasion of Euro 2012 also in outdoor advertising. In June, in the Volyn region the big billboards advertising the site "Volyn region. Euro 2012" were placed. These boards included information and references designed by the Oblast State Administration, but also the logos of the Party of Regions and the Charity Foundation "Native Volyn" of Boris Klimchuk, head of the Oblast State Administration. The Luhansk Oblast organization of the Party of Regions and the deputy of Oblast Rada Sergiy Gorokhov, who intends to run to the Verkhovna Rada in district 105, placed billboards with their party symbols and photo along with the slogan: "Support the State. Euro 2012."

Some potential candidates participated in the organization of unofficial fan-zones. For example, in Ivano-Frankivsk oblast the activities of unofficial fan-zones for Euro 2012 were organized by the Director of TC "Bukovel," Oleksandr Shevchenko, (in the center of Ivano-Frankivsk) and "Regional" Bogdan Hdychynsky (in Colomiya town). In Zaporozhzhia, fan areas were also opened for broadcasting the football matches. There were symbols of the Party of Regions near the screen.

Another way in which parties and candidates used the football championship is by organizing competitions. In Zhytomyr oblast, potential candidate from the United Opposition in district 64 (city Korosten), Deputy of Oblast Rada of Association "Motherland" Andriy Ozerchuk held a "Contest of Forecasts for Euro 2012" through an Internet portal "My Korosten"; the winner received valuable gifts. His colleague in the opposition andpotential candidate for people's deputies of "For the Motherland!" Mikhailo Apostol (electoral district 167, Chortkiv town) in the Ternopil oblast, in cooperation with the local Internet newspaper "On all," also organized a contest for guessing the score of the Euro 2012 matches. The main prize was a modern television set. The first ten winners received valuable gifts.

Football tournaments were organized in different oblasts especially for Euro 2012. At the Rivne oblast, the Charity Foundation "Our Land" supported the 9th International tournament in memory of Afghanistan soldier Yuri Marchuk, which was attended by students born in 1998 of Pinsk (Belarus), Lyubeshiv (Volyn oblast), village Borove and joined team of Morochne and Mutvytsi villages (all – Zarichne district of the Rivne oblast). The foundation contributed to the arrival of teams from Pinsk. The foundation gave away balls labeled with the Euro 2012 logo to each team and commemorative awards were given to the best players of the tournament. A football competition dedicated to Euro 2012 between children's and youth teams were held in the Volochysk (Khmelnytsky Oblast) in Volochynsk and Khmelnytsk districts, initiated by Oblast Rada Deputy Sergei Labazyuk. In Vinnytsia oblast in Bershad district, sporting events in support of the Ukrainian team at Euro 2012 was organized. Member of Oblast Rada M. Kucher gave pupils of the Bershad Child-Youth Sports School tracksuits and a leather ball. In this oblast, with the assistance of Sergiy Kudlayenko, head of the Consumer Market and Services Department of Vinnytsia City Council and deputy of the Oblast Rada from the party "Front of Change," organized the Vinnitsa "Mini Euro-2012" among school football teams. The winners received tickets to the England-Sweden match from the deputy. Moreover, "The Land of Parents" supported the organization of the competition "Cup of Oksana Kaletnik"in five districts of constituency 16. The winners received tickets for the Ukraine-England match in Donetsk.

The Charity Foundation "The Land of Parents" gave Euro 2012 tickets to the winners of a Ukrainian hand combat tournament in memory of Leonid Gusakovsky. Vitaly Maksimov, potential candidate from the “UDAR” party, gave the winner of a quiz on Vitali Klitschko’s person a ticket to the Ukraine-England match and round-trip train tickets to Donetsk. In the Kamianka-Dniprovska town of Zaporizhzhia oblast, near the “Cosmos” municipal stadium the Monument to Football was inaugurated on the occasion of Euro 2012 by the district authorities with the support of the Party of Regions. During these celebrations, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Volodymyr Bandurov gave ten football balls to youth teams of the city.

In the Donetsk region, activists of the "Ukraine-Forward!" party used the similarity between their party’s name and one of the slogans of Ukrainian fans for their advertising. In the days of the matches in Donetsk, activists distributed scarves with symbols of Ukraine and the party logo in various parts of the regional center, mostly at the official fan zones and the "Donbass Arena" stadium. Guard of the stadium would not allow fans take their seats with party scarves.

Representatives of the Association "Motherland" used the visit of European football fans to inform them of the persecution of Yulia Tymoshenko. In Kharkiv, city representatives of Association "Motherland" held several political acvitivities called "Freedom to Yulia!", particularly a flash mob at the official fan zone for Euro 2012. Pedestrians and tourists received calendars depicting the leader and the word "Innocent." Fans also received leaflets with information about the illegal sequestration of the opposition leader in jail and T-shirts with the inscription «Free Yulia». Similar actions took place in Lviv and Kyiv.

CONCLUSIONS

• The identification candidates for national deputies of Ukraine by political forces is mostly conducted on non-alternative basis. Pro-government and opposition parties do not use competitive and transparent methods of pre-selection of their representatives in the elections.
• During the formation of electoral structures, the opposition political forces have shown greater transparency than pro-government parties, particularly the Party of Regions. In most of the regions, the opposition has presented its leaders in its election headquarters.
• A positive manifestation of the current stage of the parliamentary campaign is that political parties have begun to discuss the projects in advance of their election programs. However, this process still does not have systematic and transparent mechanisms for considering public opinion.
• Potential majoritarian candidates are ahead of party organizations in terms of deployment for the campaign. The personal interests of candidates encourage the speedy resolution of organizational issues.
• Significantly different campaign techniques are being used by political parties and potential majoritarian candidates. If the first are more likely to conduct mass actions on current political issues, the latter are aimed at solving social problems of voters.
• The biggest trends of the pre-election campaign include the abuse by candidates of various forms of charity and budgetary administrative resources. With the help charities that could resemble vote bribing, candidates provide material incentive to voters. Infrastructure problems at the community level are solved through budget financing.
• Initiatives of the President of Ukraine and the government in the social sphere and in mass media are being used for pre-election PR. The Euro 2012 championship is one of the leitmotifs of promotional materials, including television commercials of the party in power.
• OPORA observed the first cases involving social workers campaigning for some parties, which causes grave concern of public observers and is a typical example of the use of state human and administrative resources.
• The reconfiguration of the political elites continues in the regions of Ukraine. There were resignations of mayors, mostly in the central regions and with the exception of Eastern and Southern Ukraine.
• The opposition parties reported the obstruction to their political activities, but law enforcement bodies failed to inform the public on the investigation of accidents.
• There were a number of pre-election conflicts with the criminal elements: physical attacks and threats on activists, of vandalism of party offices and citizens’ personal property.
• The media are increasingly becoming parties to electoral conflicts. The most common manifestations of this trend are: pressure on journalists by the authorities, resignation of editors in chief of public media, allegations of politicians establishing censorship in local newspapers, television and radio.