Presidential candidates understand that while Ukrainian voters are focused on events that are decisive for their country, the excessive use of traditional advertising can have the opposite effect. On the basis of information provided by OPORA's observers, we can make a conclusion that the candidates have focused their campaigning efforts in the central, southern, and eastern oblasts of Ukraine, and have to resort to non-standard methods.
However, the election campaign remains slow, irregular, and disproportionate.In April, the following candidates were the most active: Olha Bohomolets, Anatolii Hrytsenko, Mykhailo Dobkin, Oleh Liashko, Petro Poroshenko, Yuliia Tymoshenko, Oleh Tiahnybok, Petro Symonenko, Serhii Tihipko, Dmytro Yarosh. However, most candidates have faced conflicts, incidents, and artificial restrictions during their campaigning events in south-eastern oblasts. Thus, a candidate for the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko was blocked in the airport by pro-Russian activists when he came to Luhansk. Mykhailo Dobkin and Oleh Tsariov have received light bodily injuries during their meetings with voters. In cities of Krasnodon and Alchevsk, unknown persons who had presented themselves as "Civil guardsmen of Luhansk oblast", attacked campaigning tents of Anatoliy Hrytsenko. Escalation of the situation in eastern oblasts of Ukraine have caused the certain aggression towards representatives of political parties who are associated with pro-Russian moods. In Rivne, representatives of the Right Sector blocked oblast office of the CPU and destroyed Soviet symbols. In Volyn – wrecked the event conducted by secretaries of regional committees of the CPU. Civil Network OPORA calls all parties of political conflicts to refrain from violence and not to discredit the electoral process by forcible activities.
Extremist activities complicate the conduct of election campaigning by candidates for the President of Ukraine, and create obstacles for organization of the election process. A large part of the voters are living in fear and are being threatened, what complicates their attraction to the electoral campaign. While the socio-political situation in unstable due to the military aggression of the RF, campaigning is often accompanied by manifestation of intolerance, what may cause social conflicts and violence. For example, Oleh Liashko's billboards with a slogan "Death to occupants!" are being actively spread in Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne, and Ternopil oblasts. In Luhansk, Krasnodon, Rubihne, Sverdlovsk, and Alchevsk, activists and representatives of pro-Russian organizations call the citizens in the internet not to recognize the special elections, and counteract the voting process. Such actions are aimed to disrupt and destabilize the electoral process. Thus, law-enforcement agencies should urgently take the corresponding measures.
The candidates often use ordered or advertising publications in mass media, often without the corresponding marking, for their campaigning purposes. Besides that, black PR materials often appear in the information space. Nevertheless, the nationwide tendency in Ukraine is that mass media pay little attention to the coverage of election campaign. Outdoor advertising (billboards, city-lights) are not widely used by candidates, mostly by Petro Poroshenko and Oleh Liashko.
Intensive personnel rotations in district election commissions continue. As of 25 April 2014, the CEC has passed six resolutions on changes in membership of DECs. 819 members of 4,164 have been already substituted, what is 20% of the total number. The largest number of members were substituted by the following presidential candidates: Nataliia Korolevska – 87 substitutions (41%), Vasyl Tsushko – 81 substitutions (38%) and Vadym Rabinovych – 72 (40%). However, Renat Kuzmin has substituted the largest percentage of commission members representing him – 60% (49 of 82 persons). Nevertheless, the commissions are authoritative, fulfill their duties, and pass the corresponding decisions. Today, candidates to the membership of precinct election commissions are being nominated.
It should be mentioned that due to the possible conduction of referendums in support of self-proclaimed "people's" republics (Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts), the CEC has passes a decision to block the access to State Voter Register maintenance bodies in Donetsk oblast.
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 electoral violations through comprehensive civic action. Since March, OPORA conducts a wide observation campaign during snap Presidential election, interim Parliamentary elections (district #83), and special local elections. The organization cooperates with 175 long-term observers, who are watching the course of election campaign in all Ukrainian regions. On the Election Day on May 25, 3,000 activists will join them to conduct the parallel vote tabulation, based on statistical sample.