Elections of 38 city mayors and 2 councilors, including the capital and 6 obast centers, are scheduled for May 25. The campaign starts officially on April 4. However, the MPs are planning to consider important amendments to the Law of Ukraine on the Elections of Deputies to the Verkhovna Rada of Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Deputies of Local Councils, Village, Town and City Heads, only on April 8. It is necessary to improve the normative base and reconsider key regulations of the effective legislation in order to prevent manipulation of the course of election campaign, as it happened in 2010. We remind that the regular elections to local self-government bodies were assessed by the Civil Network OPORA, and numerous violations of international standards and principles were reported. One of the major reasons of such negative assessment – is the law, criticized by Ukrainian experts, reputable international organizations and some members of the CEC.
Draft Law on making amendments to the Law of Ukraine on the Elections of Deputies to the Verkhovna Rada of Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Deputies of Local Councils, Village, Town and City Heads #2664, introduced by Ruslan Kniazevych, was considered by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the second reading on April 1 (regarding technical and legal improvements to the election process). 311 amendments were included to it after the first reading. Amendments #307 and 308, introduced by Davyd Zhvaniia, became an insurmountable obstacle for efficient voting on April 1. According to these amendments, the Central Election Commission would have to change the membership of territorial election commissions in cities of Kyiv and Odesa. The certain members of parliamentary coalition, who were close to the Party of Regions, demanded that membership of territorial commissions in Kyiv and Odesa should remain the same. However, some members of these commissions were probably involved in doubtful activities during the previous elections. "The group "Economic Development" doesn't want to change membership. There are almost ten court decisions on falsifications which relate to them. That's why they don't vote," - Valerii Karpuntsov (UDAR) stated, whose faction demands changes in membership of TECs. Creation of district commissions in Kyiv is closely considered in the new wording of the Law. Besides that, the document provides: self-nomination of candidates for mayoral elections; creation of TECs; prohibition for chairmen of establishments (prisons, hospitals etc.) to participate in activities of election commissions on special polling stations; inclusion of candidates from local parties to memberships of TECs, and conduction of a separate sortition for every polling station; approval of a justified quorum for election commissions; impossibility to remove candidates from the registration for a violation during the campaign; improved procedure of voting at home.
Ukrainian experts have repeatedly emphasized the necessity to introduce two-round election system (by absolute majority) for mayoral elections. Civil Network OPORA thinks that the second round of local elections could be held simultaneously with the second round of Presidential elections, to exclude additional expenses from the State budget. During the repeated consideration of the bill, Mykola Katerynchuk proposed to introduce an amendment (#280) concerning the conduction of the second round of local elections, but it was rejected.
As long as the effective Law of Ukraine on the Elections of Deputies to the Verkhovna Rada of Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Deputies of Local Councils, Village, Town and City Heads doesn't secure fair and democratic elections, OPORA emphasizes that amendments to the effective Law should be urgently approved. We hope that MPs will eventually adopt the Law in new wording on April 8, as long as the reform of electoral legislation will secure the conduction democratic election process.
For its part, Civil Network OPORA starts electoral monitoring campaign during local elections. From the very first days of the campaign, long-term observers will watch its course in Kyiv, Sumy, Chernivtsi, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Cherkasy. On the Election Day, the organization will mobilize 500 activists in Kyiv to conduct the parallel vote tabulation, based on statistical sample and qualitative observation.
OPORA will systematically inform the public about the course of election campaign, as well as whether subjects of the election process observe the electoral legislation, officials participate in the race, and all the interested parties adhere to generally recognized international standards. Large-scale civic observation is aimed to prevent violations and abuses during the vote count process.