Violations of Election Law in Volhynia: from Typical Posting in Unassigned Places to Whole System of Campaigning in University

In Volhynia, the parliamentary election has been held with gross violations of the election law. Candidates break campaigning rules, bribe voters, and use a university as a campaigning instrument.

Around seventy cases of violations of the election law have been recorded by OPORA observers during the whole period of the election campaign by the participants of the electoral process. On Friday 26 October, Election Programmes Coordinator of the Civil Network OPORA in Volhynian Oblast Mykhailo Shelep informed of that.

Facts of smear, bribery of voters, and unfair campaigning have been widely used. In particular, Mykhailo Shelep spoke of new violations, which OPORA hasn't reported before.

Shelep noted the use of Lesia Ukrainka Eastern European National University as a campaigning instrument of a self-nominated candidate Ihor Palytsia. In particular, OPORA found out that campaigning is conducted systematically in the University. “OPORA found out that there was a clear centralised instruction to place Palytsia's campaign materials at all the University Departments. It also became known to me that Deans of all the Departments were made to submit applications for observers of one candidate,” informed Mykhailo Shelep. He also told about direct campaigning for that candidate in front of the students. In particular, OPORA observer found out that in September, Deputy Head of the Roman and German Philology Department Tetiana Lisinska gathered students of the Department of different courses living in the hall of residence, to campaign for Ihor Palytsia in front of them. Ms Lisinska resented such a small number of students that came, and then started to campaign for Ihor Palytsia saying how much he was doing for the University (refurbishing the laboratory building, the halls of residence, gives scholarships to students) and the town.

Mykhailo Shelep reminded that OPORA's partner organisation, the Young Reformers Association submitted an appeal to the University regarding the provision of premises for the reception office of the organisation, as the University had done for the youth wing of the Party of Regions — Young Regions.

The University informed that such premises could be granted with the permission of the MESYS of Ukraine and Volhynian Oblast Council.

However, it is interesting that to lease premises to Young Regions, tenders were invited with the information published on the official website of the University, and, for some reason, in the party newspaper Volhynia-Region

Mykhailo Shelep also approached the University management with a request to conduct an educational lecture for students of the Institute of Philology and Journalism of Lesia Ukrainka EENU on the subject “Voting Rights of Students and Ways of Civic Activism During the Election 2012”. The latter refused the request referring to the fact that there were no requests from students to conduct such a lecture.

Mykhailo Shelep also demonstrated audio recordings (they can be downloaded here) —

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12407433/%D0%B7%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8.wma

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12407433/%D0%B7%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%201.wma

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12407433/%D0%B7%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%202.wma

 from the trainings of PEC members by the Party of Regions in Turiysk. OPORA also reported such cases earlier.

The audio recordings prove that the “regionals” taught their PEC members to falsify election results. In particular, on the first recording, the party's lawyer Oleh Volodymyrovych tells PEC members how to count the ballots “properly”. “Next one — determination of the expression of will of citizens. You take a ballot. You look — No.20, put in the pile which says „the Party of Regions“. Second ballot — No.20, put in the pile again. Third one — No.20, put in the pile again. Fourth one — No.19, you put in the pile No.20. Can you make a mistake? Do you work Saturday? You do. Do you start at 6am on Sunday? You do. Can you make a mistake? You can. This is a clerical error. No one is liable,” says the „regional“ lawyer. [Recording No.2. Timecode 10.44]

“However, law can be interpreted in different ways. Well, as they say, one law for the rich, and another for the poor,” shares with the training participants Andrii Melnyk, Organising Deputy Head of Volhynian Oblast Organisation of the Party of Regions. [Recording No.3. Timecode 8.13]

Mykhailo Shelep separately spoke of the work of observers on the election day and vote counting methodology of the Civic Network OPORA.

At the 2012 election to the Verkhovna Rada, the Civil Network OPORA will use a comprehensive monitoring system of the election results — quick statistical vote count (QC).

The QC methodology provides fixed observation of the voting process and vote counting at the polling stations chosen by random statistical sample.  It allows to evaluate quality of the electoral process with a minimal statistical error, and predict election results as accurately as possible. Unlike the exit poll, the forecast of the election results is carried out not by surveying voters but on the basis of actual official results received at the vote counting at the stations.

QC is based on two elements — the analysis of quantitative and qualitative indicators. The first one is the result of computations based on new technology and specially prepared statistical programmes. Based on the data of the prepared sample, control points (polling stations) to be involved in the QC are chosen. Data obtained through direct monitoring of the observers are recorded into the relevant protocols, and sent by text messages or to mobile broadband modem to the headquarters, where they are processed with special equipment and software. To ensure the reliability of information received by the headquarters, the method of control data collection both via telephone and text messages is used.

For quantitative research, data from the stations are required, which are collected by hundreds or thousands (depending on the sample) volunteer observers. Quantitative data provide an opportunity to show trends and dynamics of the voter turnout and results of the voting, and identify the number and nature of organisational (deviation from standard procedures of the election) and manipulative (aimed at changing the expression of will) violations. The purpose of qualitative research is to ensure through evaluation of important aspects of the electoral process — transparency, equity in compliance with the election law, manipulative processes in favour for one of the parties, etc. As, if the violation of the election law occurred before the voting day or vote counting, QC wouldn't have been able to detect fraud that affected the election results. Therefore, it is very important to conduct long-term monitoring of the electoral process before conducting the QC.

Press Service of the Civil Network OPORA in Volhynian Oblast