13% of members in newly-created district election commissions were members of DECs in 5 problematic districts in 2012.
Actions or inaction of members of DECs, which worked in districts # 223, 94, 194, 197 and 132 in 2012, were main reasons for the impossibility to determine the election results. On these re-elections, the creation and first substitutions in DECs show that membership wasn't fully renewed.
Despite the CEC has created district election commissions in correspondence with the current legislation, it didn't take into consideration the recommendations of Ukrainian and international experts regarding the procedure of drawing lots. OPORA's observers have noticed that employees who worked during the Parliamentary elections and represented so-called technical parties will continue working during the elections in 5 problematic districts. According to international standards of the election process organization, bodies which organize electoral process shall be unbiased.
The same negative practice of substitutions of commission members, which occurred in 2012, is detected on the very beginning of this year's election campaign. Thus, 33 members of DECs (37% of the total number) were substituted during the first days of DECs in 5 districts: Such constant and widespread turnover in DECs considerably complicates the implementation of commissions' direst duties in preparation and conduct of the elections. Therefore, it may negatively affect creation of DECs, registration of proxies of candidates and civic observers, distribution of ballot papers and other electoral documentation among PECs etc.
We remind that on October 25, the CEC has adopted the corresponding Resolution of creation of DECs in 5 problematic districts. Every commission has the membership of 18 persons. On the third day after the creation, DECs have conducted their first meetings, attended by 72%-89% members. All the present members of DECs took an oath. However, some members of DECs, present during the first meetings, turned out to be insufficiently prepared to performance of their duties.