“As Vinnytsia Oblast votes so votes the whole Ukraine,” said at the press conference Regional Coordinator of the Civil Network OPORA Oleh Levchenko.
In Vinnytsia Oblast, over 300 observers worked on the election day. Electoral district No.17 was covered completely.
Among the violations recorded by short-term observers, there was voting without presentation of any documents, including with a passport copy, taking of a ballot outside the station, and campaigning on the premises of a PEC. At the polling station in the village of Kostiantynivka of Lypovets Raion, commission members arranged a celebration.
OPORA observers noted improper level of training of PEC members in Vinnytsia Oblast.
Interestingly, at special stations of Vinnytsia Oblast, victory of one party was observed when at regular stations — of another party.
Also, Oleh Levchenko noted that the national 24/7 hotline of OPORA based in Vinnytsia received over 800 calls regarding violations all over Ukraine. Most messages came from the Central Ukraine — in particular, from Kyiv. These were ordinary people not representatives of headquarters.
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.