4 November 2011 in Luhansk was held public discussion on the electoral reform in Ukraine. Event was organized by the Civic Consortium of election initiatives, which united NGOs specialized in election law and election process. 35 experts that represented government, political parties, NGOs and mass media participated in discussion.
To participants was also presented a publication “Electoral reform for everybody” which highlighted problematic issues of the election reform in Ukraine concerning national traditions and international experience.
According to Oleksii Kormiletskyi, the Head of Luhansk regional office of CN OPORA, similar discussions are aimed at attraction wide circle of civic experts and everyone who is interested in reforming electoral legislation, providing conditions for the effective dialogue between authorities, civic experts, voters and subjects of electoral process, and also producing recommendations to the electoral legislation.
Oleksandr Chernenko, the Head of All-Ukrainian organization “Committee of Voters of Ukraine”, presented data of nationwide expert poll, in which 560 experts were inquired about their opinion on the main provisions of electoral law. In particular, he stated that the poll has showed that most of experts support proportional system with open regional lists (38%). The idea to forbid political parties uniting into blocs supported only 28% of respondents, while 53% think that subjects of election process should have such right. 75% of inquired deem that the right of voters to vote at home should remain, but only providing they give documents which prove their inability to vote at a polling station.
“At the first reading in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine was introduced a bill in which were no amendments of the Working Committee left. Today it contains many unconstitutional norms, like the possibility of double-entry of candidates by party lists and in district, - told Oleksandr Chernenko. – Yesterday this bill was supposed to be considered in the second reading, but it was brought to public debate, and there was also formed a new working group by opposition." Most of participants of the public discussion agreed, that current bill contains has many technical and procedural violations of the Constitution and effective legislation and needs to be further developed. As an example, the current bill violates rights of Ukrainian citizens who are abroad at the voting day, etc.
"The Head of TEC/DEC have to hire around 2,5 thousand of people in 5 days. It’s more that in any factory in Luhansk. It’s more than 300 proficiency interviews. Besides that, in 90 days CEC will not be able to provide all technical work on preparation and conduction of qualitative elections in time” – stressed Oleksii Kachan, former head of Luhansk territorial election commission in 2006-2010. Representatives of political parties almost unanimously called for conduction of preliminary training of district and local commission members in Ukraine.
All opinions expressed during the event will be included into а general analytical report on the results of public discussions, which will be passes to the Administration of the President of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and other interested institutions and individuals.
Public discussion on the electoral legislation reform in Ukraine is organized by the Civic Consortium of Election Initiatives complemented by CVU, CN OPORA, Agency for Legislative Initiatives and the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research.