Most of DECs representatives are from the least active parties

On 24 August, the CEC held draw determining the membership of 225 District election commissions during its evening meeting. Political parties, which nominated at least one candidate for MP of Ukraine, could participate in the procedure. According to the draw, only 19 political parties will have representation in DECs. Parties Youth to the power, Russia United, People's Labor Union of Ukraine, "Bratstvo", Green Planet, received quota in all 225 district election commissions without exception. Only parties 5 of 19 nominated their candidates by in a list. All the other parties nominated candidates only in single-mandate election districts. Only two parties of all that received representation in 225 DECs nominated more than 3 candidates for MP of Ukraine.

The Civil Network OPORA emphasizes, that the order of selection DECs' membership used in 2012 Parliamentary elections doesn't secure equal representation of all political parties in election commissions and equal control between subjects of the election process. As a result of one-time draw for all district election commissions, most of representatives are from parties which nominated the smallest number of candidates and don't conduct active election campaign. OPORA reminds, that it foretasted such results of drawing lots in July already.

81 political parties submitted 13424 candidates for 2926 vacancies of district election commissions' members.  The CEC refused 104 candidates for different reasons provided by the law.  6 parties haven't submitted any candidates for the membership of district election commission.

The sortition determined only the priority for inclusion parties' representatives in district election commissions. It means that the draw determined only sequence numbers of parties, but separate sortition to determine members in every district election commission wasn't conducted. After all candidates from the first party chosen by sortition are included, candidates from the next parties are to be included. Thus, membership of all DECs consists of parties which have registered only one candidate but formed representation of 225 commissions. As a consequence, commissions were formed unfairly and disproportionally by election outsiders.

Thus, drawing lots this year considerably differs from those used in 1998-2006. Drawing lots during previous Parliamentary elections were organized separatly for every election commission, what secured the principle of equal opportunities for candidates and parties. Today, all vacancies in district election commissions were distributed by one draw, what weakened mutual control of parties.

Reference:

Besides the procedure for drawing lots, one representative from each deputy faction which intention to register for the VRU of VI convocation was announced during the first plenary sitting are included to DECs. The documents shall be submitted by authorized person holding valid power of attorney from the head of the faction.

Therefore, representatives of the Party of Regions, BYT-Fatherland, the Communist Party of Ukraine, the People's Party and the Our Ukraine - People's Defense faction will receive quota in DECs on exclusive conditions.

The submission of candidates from the Our Ukraine - People's Defense faction, which consists of 9 parties, caused certain complications. During the CEC meeting on 24 August, representative of the Our Ukraine party Mykola Onishchuk suggested members of the commission not to consider submission of the Our Ukraine - People's Defense faction, as long as there was no sitting on this issue. In his turn, the deputy head of the Our Ukraine - People's Defense faction, a representative of the Fatherland party, Ruslan Kniazevych, informed the CEC that according to Agreement on the establishment of an electoral bloc, the decision to nominate candidates from the faction can be approved at the meeting of the political council of the block. He says, such meeting was held on 10 August 2012. Taking into consideration political processes in the Our Ukraine - People's Defense faction, we may assume that its quota will be taken by representatives of All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland".