Ignorance of the electoral legislation and unwillingness to adhere to it – is a serious problem on the way to determination of real election results in Kyiv. During this election campaign, observers of Civil Network OPORA reported numerous incidents of legal illiteracy or legal nihilism of members of PECs, TECs, and DECs, as well as participants of the electoral process.
In particular, there were some procedural violations which bothered only observer of the Civil Network OPORA, but other commission members and observers were ready to violate the law in order to finish everything sooner. In result, everything resulted in an opposite way. For example, on a PEC in Shevchenkivskyi district, members of the PEC have lost an hour because refused to follow the procedural advise of OPORA's observer.
At a polling station in Desnianskyi district, a member of PEC has taken an oath right before the beginning of vote count.
On the election night, a mobile group of OPORA's observers were not allowed to enter the PEC on Eduarda Vilde street, where OPORA's observer was offended and threatened with physical retribution. Mobile group had to call the police.
The vote count process was also accompanied by disregard of the law. In particular, the protocols are being massively re-written in Kyiv TECs and DECs without holding any meetings or voting, observers are not present. Besides that, one person signs the document for all commission members and observers, and seals it with a seal taken from the precinct. Simultaneously, members of DECs and TECs support such practice. Observer of the OPORA has reported than protocols were rewritten in Sviatochynskyi district, and seals were taken out of the polls.
During the meeting of DEC #221, a person was filling in the protocol, signed for all members of the commission, and took out the seal. According to commission members, who witnessed the violation of the law, falsifications of the protocol, in fact, – it's a normal practice, and not a violation.
Similar incident was reported in Shevchenkivskyi district in DEC #223. This time, Head of the PEC filled in the protocol, signed for all commission members, and put the seal. When he saw that OPORA's observer was taking a video, he took away personal stuff of the observer, and swore athim.
On this very polling station, OPORA's observer saw the Head and Secretary of another PEC were hiding the seal into the case after rewriting of the protocol. Red-handed heads of the PEC were behaving quite confidently, because they knew that they won't be punished.
In the dustbin behind premises of the TEC and DEC, electoral documentation was noticed. In particular, the protocol #1 from PEC #9, and blank form of certificates for official observers.
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 electoral violations through comprehensive civic action.
Since March, OPORA conducts a wide observation campaign during snap Presidential election, interim Parliamentary elections (district #83), and special local elections. The organization cooperates with 175 long-term observers, who are watching the course of election campaign in all Ukrainian regions. On the Election Day on May 25, 3,000 activists will join them to conduct the parallel vote tabulation, based on statistical sample.