Many candidates in the AR Crimea faced the problem of twins. Representatives of several parties were refused in the formation of polling stations in Kerch.  At the meeting before the draw, it turned out that the same candidates submitted applications to form district commissions. Over a hundred twins appeared.

According to the Law On Elections, these people should be crossed of the lists what has been done (Article 28. Procedure for Establishing a Precinct Election Commission of a Regular or Special Polling Station. Paragraph 7).   In the proposal of candidacies to the precinct commissions, information rescribed by Chapter Five of Article 27 of this Law should be included. Applications of persons proposed for the precinct election commission, on consent to participate in the work of the election commission, from the respective party are attached to a proposal, and in the case of the proposal of this candidacy for a position of the head, the deputy head, or the secretary of the election commission — on consent to comply with respective job responsibilities. According to Article 26, Paragraph 2 on Requirements for Members of a District or Precinct Election Commission,  A voter may be a member of only one election commission which carries out preparation and conduct of an election of people's deputies of Ukraine as well as an election of the President of Ukraine, an election of deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic Crimea, deputies of local councils, and village and city mayors, and commissions of a national or local referendum, if the aforementioned election or referendum is conducted simultaneously with the election of people's deputies of Ukraine

However, representatives of Batkivschyna Party and the Communist Party of Ukraine who have been excluded from the lists state that they wrote one application only from their parties. The representatives of the parties emphasise that it was done deliberately, in order to reduce the quota of representatives of these political forces in the commissions, Some of them — „twins“ to be — came to the district commission personally to report the forgery and state that they didn't participate in such fraud. However, the commission refused given as a reason the fact that the matter was not on the agenda.

No representatives of the Svoboda party will be at the polling stations in the town of Kerch. The agent of the party told that the international observer. She brought the documents to participate in the formation of election commissions in advance but at the meeting of the district commission she was refused.  The representative of the commission A. Levchenko explained it by the fact that the documents weren't prepared in compliance with the legislation of Ukraine. However, it is unclear why the documents weren't returned for amendment but accepted with violations and gave back only at the meeting.

In the town of Yevpatoriia, the deputies experienced the same problem but the solution to it was different. At the meeting, names of the candidates on whose behalf statements were written were announced, and it was said there were „twins“ nominated by another political force among them.e  The statements of the candidates of the PEC were read in the following form — I, N, represent the political force, certify that I am a representative of such a political force, faction, or a deputy, and I am asking to consider my application, and not to consider any other application on my behalf because it was not submitted by me. However, on such applications, it was clearly indicated which party the twins can be from — for instance, from the Party of Regions, or UDAR.

Although, a question arises from whom candidates could have known their twins from if the lists had been announced at the meeting of the district commission for the first time, and, furthermore, had managed to write applications for delisting under the law of Ukraine.  Thus, it is possible that each representative of this or that political force disclosed the information to his fellow party members.

The long-term observer of OPORA asked the members of the commission to clarify the situation. One of the members of the commission commented that applications of the candidates — there were around 58 of them — has been signed before the start of the meeting, and how they got to know about the „twins“ — remains a mystery. All commission members voted unanimously to accept such applications.

These two examples of the work of the CEC prove the process of the draw not being organised; each district commission works under its own rules being contrary to the legislation of the country.

 

For comment, please contact:
Liliia Umerova
Press Secretary of the Civil Network OPORA
in the AR Crimea
0990724390

Reference:

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 violations through comprehensive civic action. Professional monitoring at all stages of the election process indirectly influences the quality of the campaign. The public opinion, both foreign and domestic is formed through gathering and spreading of information among the target audience.  
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