Press-Announcement

2014 Parliamentary Elections: Portrait of Candidates, Typical Violations, and Situation in Donbas

 

On the 2nd October 2014, at 11:30am, a press-conference "2014 Parliamentary elections: portrait of candidates, typical violations, and situation in Donbas" will be held by the Civil Network OPORA in the UNIAN Information Agency (4 Khreshatyk St., Kyiv). During the event, experts will discuss the most widespread violations of electoral legislation committed by candidates and parties, typical portrait of a majoritarian candidate, rotations and political influences in district election commissions, and opportunities for realization of electoral rights by Ukrainian citizens living in Donbas region and Crimea.

Both registered and potential candidates for members of Parliament (MPs) have been conducting an active election campaign in Ukrainian regions for almost a month. Campaigning activities of MP candidates often include indirect voter bribery, violation of campaigning procedures, and publication of paid articles of hidden advertising ("dzhynsa") in the media.

At the same time, the election process in the Donbas region is being organized in extreme conditions. The functioning of district election commissions, controlled by Ukrainian government, is quite unstable. On the other hand, the situation on the territory that is temporarily controlled by illegal military groups is even worse. Apparently, organization of the voting process there seems to be impossible according to recent situation.

Civil Network OPORA will present an interim report on parliamentary election observation campaign 2014. The issues of safety in Donbas, rotations and political influences in district election commissions, realization of electoral right by citizens of Crimea and the Donbas region, and new-old faces of the future parliament, will be covered by:

- Olha Aivazovska, Electoral and Parliamentary Programs Coordinator of the Civil Network OPORA;

- Oleksandr Neberykut, OPORA's analyst;

- Oleksandr Kliuzhev, OPORA's analyst.      

Journalist registration is conducted on-the-spot by press-cards.

Live broadcast will be available: http://press.unian.net/live/                                                                     

Detailed information:
Vasyl Babych, Press-Secretary of the OPORA, +38 096 194 86 69 
 
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 electoral violations through comprehensive civic action.
Starting from September 2014, Civil Network OPORA conducts a large-scale observation of special parliamentary elections in Ukraine. The organization will involve 213 long-term observers in every region of Ukraine to monitor the campaign from its official start to announcement of the final election results. On the Election Day on May 26, more than 2,000 activists will join them to conduct statistically-based parallel vote tabulation.
 
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