How Much Is the Vote?

In their eagerness to obtain a deputy seat, candidates stop at nothing. The main motto of the politicians now is “Victory at any price”. Many of the elements of election campaigns can be evaluated in monetary terms. However, not all of them are legal. This refers to various briberies of voters, which, according to the regulation of the CEC, is providing voters, organisations, and institutions with money, and free of charge, or on special terms — with goods, services, works, securities, loans, lottery tickets, and other tangible assets.

Unfortunately, there we even more such disappointing incidents in Odesa Oblast in September than in the previous month.

“Generous Hearts” of Odesa

In Odesa, district 133 dominates in this segment. Moreover, based on whom the candidates, with all their heart, give their gifts to, it is not hard to understand whose votes they count for.

For example, a self-nominated candidate Ihor Markov. He is trying to bribe everyone he can. However, it appears that it is mainly public sector employees, for whom budget funds are not always available, and the retired people nostalgic about the Soviet past (it is them who come to meetings with the candidate, where they learn about the “good deeds” of the benefactor). By the way, since we have already mentioned the almost daily meetings of Ihor Markov with voters, it is difficult to ignore the fact that he is an acting deputy of Odesa City Council, and, according to the CVU monitoring, during the year of him being a deputy, he hasn't once met with the voters though the law obliges a deputy to do that, Moreover, Head of the faction RODINA in the City Council didn't even schedule meetings with the voters. This suggests that active meetings with the residents of Kyivskyi Raion are connected exclusively with claims of the latter for a seat in the parliament.

However, let's get back to the facts of the bribery of voters. Before 1 September, the charitable foundation of the candidate presented backpacks with school supplies — notebooks, pens, pencil cases, covers for textbooks, etc — to 130 children of extended families.  On 11 September, the candidate congratulated the staff of Odesa Orphanage for Disabled Children having taken along a present — a computer.  Also, at this meeting, Ihor Markov promised by the end of the week to provide construction materials needed to finish the refurbishment of the changing room. This isn't the end of the “good deeds” list of the leader of the party RODINA— at 118/1 Arkhitektorska Street, the candidate installed a playground.

A bribery of voters is providing the voters, organisations, and institutions with money, and free of charge, or on special terms — with goods, services, works, securities, loans, lottery tickets, and other tangible assets.

Another interesting fact is that it is not difficult at all to learn how this candidate is trying to bribe his voters. All the information with carefully spelled out details can be easily found on the information resources controlled by the candidate.

Two other candidates, Oleksii Honcharenko (the PR) and Vadym Chornyi (self-nominated candidate) don't put much effort into voter bribery schemes. Through the CVU hotline, there were complaints of voters received that a candidate of the Party of Regions Oleksii Honcharenko arranged delivery of bags of potatoes and onions to flats of his voters.

On 6 September, the activists of the Union of Anarchists and self-nominated candidate Vadym Chornyi decided to “help” senior citizens of their district —  they were giving away Corvalol. Later, in the social networks, angry residents of Kyiv Raion massively complained that on behalf of the same candidate, canned whole olives were delivered to the households.

In this district, the nominee of UDAR Ihor Safin also stood out — he developed particular concern for our veterans. At the boxing tournament for sports schools of Kyivskyi Raion, he handed out grocery packages to senior citizens — of course, with his campaign materials.

A self-nominated candidate and member of the Party of Regions, Yurii Presnov has targeted young mothers. Deputy Head of the faction of this party in Odesa City Council, Yurii Presnov organises this activities mainly for children — he renovated the roof of kindergarten No.106 and organised an entertainment programme.  In another kindergarten (Maliatko), the candidate presented a children's car so that kids could learn how to behave on the road. Finally, on 16 September, another “regional” of the city arranged a free visit for children of extended families to the Luna Park, and had taken them to the Dolphinarium before.

In district 134, for a self-nominated candidate Hennadii Chekita, financially encouragement of his voters is not something he wouldn't do. At meetings with the candidate, booklets saying that Myloserdia (Charity) Charitable Foundation of Hennadii Chekita implements social programmes Affordable Medications and Affordable Groceries, are handed out to the voters. The idea of the programme is that essential groceries and medications can be bought in the certain chain of stores and pharmacies at a special discounted price. To take advantage of these programmes, one should obtain social cards at the reception office of Hennadii Chekita first. To avoid disputes around these programmes, it is worth mentioning straight away that despite the fact that they have been launched long before the start of the election campaign — from August to late October, such social projects shouldn't be accompanied with campaigning for a candidate, otherwise they are considered indirect bribery of voters.

In district 135, on 1 September, a candidate of the Party of Regions Serhii Kivalov held a celebration for the first graders of his district. In the end of the celebration, where there even were performers from Kyiv, headmasters of schools were presented with certificates which guarantee all the first graders the admission to Odesa Law Academy, the Honourable President of which is Serhii Kivalov. It is interesting that from the legal point of view, these certificates are invalid since one can be admitted to a state higher educational institution, which the Academy is, only having successfully passed the independent external assessment. For the bribery of voters, this candidate also uses another university — International Humanitarian University. On the basis of the IHU, just during the election campaign, free computer courses for retired people were organised. In this university, Serhii Kivalov is also listed as Honourable President. Moreover, the giveaway of glasses for socially disadvantaged groups, organised by the personal charitable foundation of the candidate, hasn't stopped.

In district 136, there is not much bribery.  Here, only one incident was recorded in September — supported by a candidate for People's Deputy of the Party of Regions Hennadii Trukhanov, Elite Dance Dance School was refurbished and equipped, situated in the village of Kotovske. However, there is another side of the coin. Bribery wasn't that necessary — here, they got away using administrative budget, and thanks to it, the voters of Suvorivskyi Raion get renovated roads, new kindergartens, etc, with the “trademark” — “Trust the Deeds” (perhaps, it is no coincidence that the youngest raion of the city got the lion's share of the People's Budget).

Who “Does Good” in the North

In the north of Odesa Oblast, there is not enough of the People's Budget, therefore, candidates actively dip into their pocket to provide various services and tangible assets to their voters.

In district 138, massive indirect bribery of voters has been launched by the personal charitable foundation of the candidate of the Party of Regions Ivan Fursin.  In Blahoieve of Ivanivka Raion, a kindergartem was refurbished at the expense of this foundation; in Vynohradne, a pump for the artesian well was replaced; in Pervomaiske of Kointernivske Raion, a school bus was presented; in Pokroka of Liubashivka Raion, a gas pipeline was built for the school and the church, and supply of gas to residential houses has been launched; and in Striukove of Mykolayivka Raion, 230K UAH were allocated for renovation of the roof of the local Community Centre.     Moreover, for the Knowledge Day, first graders of Berezivka, Anannyiv, and Liubashivka Raions were given presents. Ananyiv Gymnasium was especially lucky — it was presented with a set of new furniture and blackboards.

The candidate of the CPU of the same district, Andrii Kyslovskyi has decided to keep up with his opponent. On 15 September, buses from Shyriaieve, Kominternivsle, and Ivanivka brought the locals to see a performance in Odesa Dolphinarium. Those who wanted to could register in the campaign tents of the CPU, and they were invited on behalf of Andrii Kyslovskyi.

In the neighbouring district 137, the “regional” acting People's Deputy Leonid Klimov has committed bribery of this voters. He presented a new fridge to the school of Savran, and furniture to the kindergarten.

This candidate has also continued to make football fans happy — on 1 and 22 September, he once again took the residents of raions of this district to Chornomorets matches. Of course, for the voters of Klimov, admission to the stadium was free.

In district 139, a candidate of the Party of Regions Oleksandr Presman was noted for bribery in September. On the streets of the residential area of Rozdilna, a minibus toured, from which friendly young men in the PR vests handed out grocery packages with flour, butter, cereals, and canned goods. Of course, the voters were reminded that Oleksandr Presman is the doer of good having neatly enclosed a calendar featuring the latter into a grocery package.

“Good Deeds” of Candidates of the South

In the south of Oblast, it also didn't do without material incentives.

Court rulings for Davyd Zhvaniya (self-nominated candidate of the district 140), who was officially  found involved in the indirect bribery of voters in August are useless. Already in September, the postmen of Biliayivka and Ovidiopol Raions received 140 bicycles from the people's deputy . Portraits of the candidate and campaign materials were added to the bicycles.

The candidate of the Party of Regions in district 143, Yurii Kruk has repeatedly been noted for bribery of his voters. He has been particularly active in Izmail. To Izmail Maternity Hospital, he presented conditioners and an autoclave (steriliser), and the parents of the newly born got small gifts and flowers.

On 1 September, 2,000 pupils received school kits in bags with the logo of the Party of Regions, and for the residents of Vynohradivka (Bolhrad Raion), in addition to that, the candidate also allocated 23,000 hryvnias to build a cesspit.

Yurii Kruk didn't also forget about Izmail veterans whose choir he presented vyshyvankas made to measure and with financial aid of the candidate. On 9 September, the benefactor held the celebration of the Day of the village of Matroska (of Izmail Raion). On the same day, opening of a new playground took place, refurbished, of course, with his active financial participation. At the celebration, children were entertained by clowns, and participants of the competitions were given live prizes — lambs.

This is it for the list of good deeds of the candidates of Odesa Oblast though we don't exclude that we don't know all of it. To conclude, I would like to warn the voters once again — please take such cases exclusively as charity, don't base your choice on what a candidate has done for your district over the past few months. Believe me, those who shower gifts upon you so actively, stand for the Verkhovna Rada to take away much more from all of us later.