15 March 2012 was held a meeting of the CEC, where besides working issues on the agenda was proposed for consideration a problem of social interest concerning formation of territorial election units. Civic experts and political players repeatedly emphasized the necessity of ensuring openness, fairness and timeliness of decision. Although the effective legislation established the deadline of issue consideration, 200 days before the voting day (April 10), however, nothing stands on the way of starting discussion of the division principle immediately. This very law determines acceptable deviation from number of voters in every district within 12%, what may result in disproportional importance of a mandate, received in different majoritarian districts. Besides that, districts will have a status of permanent organizations, not temporary. Therefore, the significance of the issue is more important than earlier.
Although the meeting wasn’t announced on the CEC site, it wasn't left unattended by observers, public, media and diplomatic community. Besides TVi, 5 channel, Ukrainska Pravda (internet newspaper), Interfax and OPORA, the discussion between commission members also witnessed representatives of diplomatic institutions from Germany, USA, Sweden and the European Union.
CEC members held consolidation conference deliberated in private in the office of Chairman, and continued to work publicly in a half of an hour. Another 40 minutes they discussed putting the issue of district formation on the agenda. 4 issues which were taken as a basis, the CEC considered for about 15 minutes: on changes in membership of territorial election commissions; approval of subventions from local budgets and conduction of extraordinary/premature local elections; destruction of data about multiple inclusion of voters to the State register; the order of registration of international observers on future parliamentary elections.
Concerning the issue number one, the commission openly split in 2 parts. Most of them were opposed to premature discussion of redistricting. There were enough arguments “for" and “against”, and first were obviously winning from the perspective of logic and international standards. The final voting showed that only 6 of 13 present members of commission supported putting unplanned issues on the agenda .
“Against” consideration of redistricting issue spoke Oleksandr Shelestov, Yurii Danylevskyi, Oleksandr Osadchuk, Tamara Astakhova, Yurii Donchenko. Speakers’ argumentations concerned the fact that decisions should be based on the last data of the State Register of Voters, and it’s fresher when closer to the deadline set by the law on redistricting. According to Shelestov, with every update changes reach number of 500 000 voters. Mrs Astakhova reminded everyone present that the Constitutional Court is to consider certain submissions of people’s deputies, in particular, concerning the Article 22 (2) of the Law of Ukraine “On Elections of People’s Deputies of Ukraine” (formation of foreign polling stations). Thus, before clarifications of the Constitutional Court it's not time for consideration of the district formation issue.
Supportive arguments provided initiator of consideration of this issue Adrii Mahera and Zhanna Usenko-Chorna, Ihor Zhydenko, Valerii Sheludko, Volodymyr Shapoval, which was against but later supported it. Deputy head of the CEC Adrii Mahera proposed mathematical principle of district division, what would secure their impartial division within the administrative unit – oblast. The initiator of redistricting issue also mentioned considerable social interest in this process and proposed to work on this problem beforehand. Besides that, Mahera mentioned, that the Constitutional Court hasn’t passed any resolution and it would be strange to read a resolution, according to which a part of Ukrainian citizens will lose their right to vote due to their place of residence. Volodymyr Shapoval confirmed, that in light of the fact that CC hasn’t started proceedings on the case yet (on 14.03), a thesis on the need to wait for a decision is artificial. Zhanna Usenko-Chorna mentioned that the State register of voters is functioning in Ukraine for 2 years and in result of her observation of changes some tendencies may be clearly predicted. The Register custodian and she personally conducted daily monitoring, and can responsibly state that changes in Register by no means shall influence a number of districts in the region. Usenko-Chorna also reminded the audience that every member of the CEC received an appeal from deputies of Lviv regional council, which are worried about the information of possible manipulative reduction of districts in Lviv region. To ease the tension and prevent spreading of rumors, it’s necessary to take decision on number of territories election units within every oblast.
Anyway, the issue of districts is to be raised again only in the last term specified by the law.
From author:
The last meeting turned out to be even more than useful for understanding processes of urgent importance in the CEC. As soon as members of commission came out from consultation room, it became clear that the issue of districts is not going to be discussed. Annoyance of Volodymyr Shapoval and wry smiles of some members of the CEC testified heated discussion behind closed doors. The course of voting and weak argumentation “against” confirmed the fact, that the Central election commission will base upon external factors, in particular, and the Constitutional Court, although hasn’t started proceedings, will be used for legitimization of politically motivated decision on double balloting and joining foreign stations to single-mandate electoral districts. We’ll hope, that mentioned decisions will be taken in logical to election terms time and, for example, double-balloting won’t be nullified after actual stage of candidate registration. Every observer, political columnist or journalist should find information in historical and digital archives concerning nomination and delegation of CEC members by party-based quotas. It would ease understanding of cause and effect relationships concerning decision of every person. To be continued…