Three students in Chernivtsi convicted to three years of imprisonment for voter bribery

More than 30 thousand pieces of video surveillance systems were bought for 2012 parliamentary elections and installed in polling stations all over Ukraine. One piece of such surveillance system consisting of hardware and software costs 6,086 UAH. 200 million UAH was spent from the State Budget only on the equipment. The total cost of video surveillance campaign was almost one billion UAH. For almost two years, the equipment was stored away by local administrations. However, after numerous app...

On 25 May 2014, Mayoral elections were held in Chernivtsi. Candidate from local organization of AUU Batkivshchyna Oleksii Kaspruk has won with 53.97% of votes. On June 6, Civil Network OPORA sent an inquiry to the Chernivtsi City Territorial Election Commission requesting to provide copies of financial reports on the use of electoral funds by candidates. On June 13, OPORA received an access to financial reports of candidates for Chernivtsi city mayor.

On 13 June, the third meeting of Chernivtsi City Territorial Election Commission (CTEC) was held, during which the approval of Oleksandr Madei as the Member of Chernivtsi City Council was considered one more time. In result of the meeting, the CTEC recognized Mr. Madei was elected and registered him as the councilor in correspondence with the Law on Local Elections.

On 10 June, Chernivtsi City Territorial Election Commission (CTEC) has repeatedly considered the approval of Oleksandr Madei as the Member of Chernivtsi City Council. We remind that Oleksandr Madei was the second in party list of the Party of Regions after Vitalii Mykhailishyn, who refused to take the office. Approval of the latter on the councilor position was already considered during commission meeting on 5 June. However, the issue wasn't resolved. It was explained by the fact that Ole...

A week before the election day, a candidate for Chernivtsi Mayor Vitalii Mykhailishyn has opened a playground at the address 7 Uzbetskyi Lane, Chernivtsi, with an inscription "We make children's dreams come true! Vitalii MYKHAILISHYN'. During the presentation, children living in surrounding buildings were presented toys and sports toys (balls, jumping ropes, and balloons saying: "I love Kalichanka!" [OPORA] – one of microdistricts in Chernivtsi).

OPORA's office in Chernivtsi has received an answer from the regional prosecutor's office in Chernivtsi regarding possible violations of electoral legislation and abuses committed by officials of state executive bodies and oblast local self-government during electoral process in 2012. The letter says that criminal proceedings were opened on the basis of facts provided in OPORA's appeal.

Among other documents in office of the Party of Regions, OPORA's activists have found papers proving possible violations of electoral legislation during 2012 Parliamentary elections. Such possible violations are: abuse of administrative resource; fulfillment of party duties during public service; indirect bribery of voters; the use of "technical” parties by the Party of Regions in order to form majority in election commissions; the use, processing, and storage of personal data of voters.

We ask you to verify every fact of electoral violation (given below) committed in Chernivtsi oblast during 2012 election campaign, reported by journalists and Chernivtsi office of the Civil Network OPORA All-Ukrainian NGO:

At night of 27 October, persons unknown massively pasted campaign materials without any imprint in Chernivtsi. The leaflets contain an appeal to vote for the candidate Volodymyr Ked. The leaflets are designed using the colours of the United Opposition. Let us remind that Volodymyr Ked is registered as a self-nominated candidate.