This articles focuses on where, how, and in what manner parties and candidates forgot about the statutory campaigning rules.
In the Wrong Place
In September, candidates and parties were generous with violations of the election law regarding the campaigning rules. And some violations have lasted back from August, which is particularly surprising since no reaction of law enforcement agencies has been observed.
For example, not all the candidates have realised that campaigning in public transport is prohibited. In particular, in district 133, two self-nominated candidates at once — Yurii Presnov and Vadym Chornyi — placed their campaign materials on many marshrutkas back in August. In September, Yurii Presnov replaced his ads with the new ones. However, on 1 October, the manager of the People's Budget finally removed his advertisements.
Same violations were committed in election districts 139, 140, and 142, where in marshrutkas voters had to see the posters of Oleksandr Presman, Davyd Zhvaniya, and Ihor Plokhoi respectively.
The violation of placement of campaign materials on state and publicly owned buildings also last from last month. Despite loud statements of the governor that, back in late August, all the flags of the Party of Regions either had been already removed or would have been removed shortly, it seems they don't want to obey the chief official of the Oblast. On the buildings of many village councils, or buildings of social and cultural sphere, the flags of the PR keep shining.
Moreover, the FPP candidates of Odesa are usually not that poor, or at least influential, which allows to push their hidden — and sometimes absolutely open — political advertisements into the controllable media. In September, observers of the Civil Network OPORA managed to record only a few cases of marks „Political advertising“, which allows to conclude that most information about candidates with obvious campaign undertones is probably hidden advertising not paid from the campaign fund.
Hindering Political Activities
Odesa Oblast was also noted by hindering political activities in various ways. Persons unknown tried to set on fire the house of a self-nominated candidate in district 136 (Suvorovskyi Raion) Serhii Bovbalan. The candidate himself connects this event solely with his political and civic activities.
In Rozdilna, at the very last moment, opposition members were refused in provision of premises for conducting trainings of the members of precinct commissions, despite the fact that previous agreement with the management of the railway station was reached. In the end, the reason of refusal was the ban of the management to use the premises for political events. The opposition members had to conduct the training in Raion Consumers Union, with which they have cooperated before. Interestingly, the very next night after the training, the building burnt down.
Nasty Little Tricks
The opponents tried hard to stop teleconferences with the leader of the United Opposition Arsenii Yatseniuk organised in the oblast. Indeed, in Shyriaieve (E.D.138), representatives of Fursin Foundation brought acoustic equipment and turned 6 speakers on at full volume. In Rozdilna, next to the teleconference site, campaign tents of the Party of Regions were set up, which was also trying to interfere with the event with loud music. In Biliayivka, the local authorities leased the venue of the meeting to a travelling circus.
No to Strangers
In September, political opponents were also generous with little (well, or respectively little) tricks against each other. In E.D.140 (the centre in Biliayivka), persons unknown pasted over and damaged 4 billboards of a candidate of the Fatherland Serhii Shumskyi, and a billboard of the United Opposition was damaged in Teplodar. In Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi (E.D.141, it went further — a billboard with the advertisement of a self-nominated candidate Oleksandr Dubovyi was cut down with an autogenous (the billboard was showing an unambiguous motto „They stole the fortress — we will rap them over the knuckles“. Billboards of the same candidate, together with the ones of Ihor Belinskyi (UDAR), got in the neck before the visit of the governor of Odesa Oblast to Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky.
In the election district 143, a billboard of a non-governmental organisation with the words „We support Bodelan's plans“ (the latter is a self-nominated candidate of this district) was dismounted. The billboard located on the premises belonging to Odesa Rail was dismounted by the order of the city authorities by the staff of public utility services of Izmail. It is noteworthy that neither the owner of the advertising space nor, in fact, the commissioner of the advertisement was notified of the planned dismantling. Also, in Izmail, a billboard — this time of another candidate, Maksym Volkov — was splattered with orange paint.
In Tarutyne (E.D.142), billboards of the FPP candidate of the Fatherland Oleksandr Borniakov were dismounted. Local authorities in Bolhrad, Tarutyne, and Sarata Raions regularly refuse the same candidate and Anton Kisse, according to the candidates themselves, to give a welcome speech at celebrations, premises for meetings with voters as well as hold culture and entertainment events.
In district 138 (the centre in Shyriaieve), a candidate of the CPU Andrii Kyslovskyi faced limited access to the media. In all the newspapers of his district, he was denied the right to place his political advertising. The reason of denial was the fact that, as it turned out, the space of all local newspapers was bought out by Fursin Foundation, notably before the start of the election (the abovementioned foundation is owned by the candidate of the Party of Regions in this district, Ivan Fursin).
Bless Me Father
And, finally, the most disappointing trend was the involvement of clergy in the campaign. Mostly representatives of the Orthodox denominations help candidates. Most often priests give blessing to contenders for a deputy seat and bless facilities renovated and rebuilt by candidates during the election campaign. For example, Metropolitan of Odesa and Izmail Ahafanhel expressed support to the candidate in the E.D.139 Oleksandr Presman and candidate in the E.D.143 Volodymyr Bodelan. A notable event occurred in Reni — deans of churches of this district led a joint moleben and blessed the candidate in the E.D.143 Yurii Kruk for participation in the election and victory. By the way, they say the latter professes a different denomination of Christianity. However, perhaps the election in Ukraine is so far the only event that can unite all the Christians.
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 is carrying out a large-scale campaign of long- and short term observation, organizing 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.