Observers of Civil Network OPORA detected organized transportation of voters to polling stations. They took pictures of people delivered to polling stations #121512 (Dovhyntsivskyi city district, 1A Iskrivska St.), #121598 (Zhovtnevyi city district, 26A Tukhachevskoho St.), #121621 (Inhuletskyi city district, 44A Chapaieva St.), #121671 (Saksahanskyi city district, 34B Meleshkina St.), #121682 (Saksahanskyi city district, 4 Kachalova St.), #121683 (Saksahanskyi city district, 4 Kachalova St.), #121723 (Ternivskyi city district, 19 Kybalchycha St.), #121724 (Ternivskyi city district, 19 Kybalchycha St.), #121711 (Ternivskyi city district, 100 Chervonopraporna St.), #121760 (Tsentralno-Minskyi city district, 9 Klenova St.).
Although transportation of voters is not a violation according to the Law of Ukraine on Local Elections, such situation may give opportunities for violations by organizers of the transportation. For example, they may campaign for the certain candidate, what is prohibited under Article 60 (4) of the Law of Ukraine on Local Elections: “It is forbidden to conduct election campaigning, which includes giving voters money or goods, for free or on preferential terms, securities, credits, lotteries, goods (besides goods with a name, symbol, flag of a political party, which local organization is electoral subject, or other campaign materials, if their price is less than five percent of the minimum wage) and other material values, works or services. It's forbidden to conclude contracts on conduction of election campaigning with the voters, financed from the electoral fund.”
Besides that, transportation of voters, or free transportation services, may be considered voter bribery if combined with campaigning.
According to the Article 160 (2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, proposing, promising, or giving a voter or a referendum participant illegal incentive for any actions or inaction directly related to realization of voting right (refusal to vote, voting more than one time at an election precinct (referendum precinct), voting or non-voting for the certain candidate, candidates nominated by a party or local cell of a party, handing the ballot paper (referendum ballot) to another person shall be punished by up to three years of restriction of liberty or deprivation of liberty for the same period with no right to hold the certain positions or be involved into the certain activities from one to three years.
Besides that, transportation services provided by the Kryvyi Rih City Association of Veterans to the disabled, war or labor veterans and other citizens by a special bus are financed from local budget. The incident involving the use of local budget funds for transportation of voters may constitute elements of a crime under Article 210 of the CrCU, particularly misuse of budget funds or giving budget credits for purposes other than established in the budget.
The organization calls on law enforcement bodies to investigate into the fact of voter transportation, ordered by Kryvyi Rih City Association of Veterans, and determine the source of financing and whether it has signs of indirect voter bribery (Articles 160 and 210 of the CrCU).
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Civil Network OPORA conducts citizen observation of early mayoral election in Kryvyi Rih, scheduled for 27 March 2016. 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. A team of 5 observers have been working in the city since 6 February, and a group of short-term observers will join them on the election day to cover the third part of election precincts in Kryvyi Rih.