Within the framework of charitable action “With love and care for children”, during the period of 11 – 27 July, People’s Deputy of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Vasyl Petovka was congratulating and giving presents to the future first graders of Tiachiv and Rakhiv rayons on the occasion of the coming Knowledge Day.
The present pack included backpacks filled with school sets, namely, folders for arts and crafts lessons, pencil boxes with pens and pencils, drawing albums with pencils and felt-tip pens, notebooks. The presents were distributed by the Deputies of the local councils. Altogether the future first graders got 1500 school sets in presence of their parents and classmates. The last point is of great importance for this report. Most probably, in three months the citizens of Tiachiv and Rakhiv rayons will have to vote for a new Deputy of Verkhovna Rada ofUkrainein their district, where probably Vasyl Petovka will be nominated as a candidate.
Moreover, although the Knowledge Day is celebrated on 1st of September, at that time the Deputy will already acquire the status of the candidate. And the distribution of such presents for the first graders will be considered as the indirect vote buying of the voting district # 72, which includes Rakhiv and part of Tiachiv rayons. During the election campaign Central Election Commission (CEC) has forbidden the agitation using the distribution of material means and free goods, except of those which have the party name and symbols. The costs of such goods should not exceed 33 UAH.
The news about the distribution of presents by the Deputy Vasyl Petovka was published in Staryi Zamok “Palanok” (OldCastle"Palanok") newspaper, which is famous for its loyalty to theUnitedCenterparty and to all its fellow members, including Vasyl Petovka.
The same article, with the reference to the above mentioned newspaper, was posted on the official website of Zakarpattia Oblast Council. However, despite the fact that the article mentions the Deputies of Oblast Council, who also took part in the charity action, the exact names of those Oblast council Deputies who helped the People's Deputy Petovka were absent on the website.
The way the information was presented makes us wonder. The website, which is financed by the Oblast Council, is supposed to highlight the activities of all the Deputies of the Oblast Council, but not the activity of one Deputy of Verkhovna Rada (out of 450 existing MPs). In this case, Vasyl Petovka has no connection with the official website of the Council. The conclusion derived from the news underlines that Oblast Council Deputies were only as a supplement to the event initiated by the MP.
In addition, it is not the first time when the website of Zakarpattia Oblast Council is used to transmit the information about private initiatives of the potential candidates for the People's Deputies. Civil observers of the CN OPORA repeatedly recorded similar incidents and forwarded the information requests to the Head of Zakarpattia Oblast Council Ivan Baloha, who is the member of theUnitedCenterparty. It was the possible candidates from theUnitedCenterparty in the single-member districts who frequently became the heroes of the content posted on the Oblast council webpage. Though, up to this moment, except of being the possible candidates and party members, they were Oblast Council Deputies.
Vasyl Petovka is the incumbent Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada ofUkraineand the fact that he is over popularized in comparison with the deputies of local Council, which sponsors and maintains the website, is puzzling. It is also important that the article on the charity action of Vasyl Petovka appeared at 6:20 pm on Saturday, July 28. It means that the website under the administration of the local government public servants was updated in the evening of the official day off.
In order to clarify the situation, OPORA will forward the information request to Vasyl Petovka and Ivan Baloha.
For details, please contact:
Sviatoslav Babilia
Coordinator of observation campaign during 2012 Parliamentary elections
in Zakarpattia Oblast
050 100 24 69
Reference:
Civic monitoring conducted by OPORA - is a type of network activity, aimed at impartial assessment of the preparation and conduct of elections, as well as preventing violations through comprehensive civic action. Professional monitoring at all stages of the election process indirectly influences the quality of the campaign. The public opinion, both foreign and domestic is formed through gathering and spreading of information among the target audience. From a strategic perspective public monitoring of elections focuses upon improving the system and certain procedures. In 2012, during Parliamentary elections in Ukraine OPORA implements a large-scale campaign of long- and short term observation, organizes a statistical vote-count by the results of voting with the proportional component of the electoral system on a basis of representative selection, will provide 100% coverage of polling stations by observers in separate single-mandate majoritarian districts. OPORA observers will work in all 225 electoral districts, and 3,500 activists will join them on the voting day. Organization will use the latest means of spreading information on observation results, including infographics and interactive maps.