The 120-day presidential election campaign will end on October 31. The events of the past few weeks — first and foremost, Viktor Yushchenko’s sudden illness and the Ivano-Frankivsk incident involving Viktor Yanukovych — have stirred up such wild passions that Ukrainian experts are seriously worried that the presidential elections may be thwarted. Viktor Yushchenko’s campaign manager Oleksandr Zinchenko alleged the other day that he has information concerning a detailed plot to foil the elections by imposing a state of emergency in Ukraine, while Viktor Yanukovych’s spokesman Stepan Havrysh in turn accused Yushchenko’s team of “conducting a dirty political campaign, spreading insinuations and whipping up social psychosis and uncertainty.” All this must have led Central Electoral Commission (CEC) chairman Serhiy Kivalov to tell the media “the elections in Ukraine will be held in any kind of political weather.” “We are now going through a very sensitive period, which requires hard, daily work. Ukrainian citizens must and will make a free choice,” Mr. Kivalov promised during last Friday’s press conference at the Central Electoral Commission. “Our main goal is to ensure freedom of expression for each individual who wants to exercise one of their basic constitutional rights, as well as to create equal conditions for the presidential candidates and hold the elections in a lawful and democratic way. I want to state firmly and unambiguously: no one will ever be able to foil the elections; no one will ever manage to implement any scenario where the elections will be pronounced invalid. The Central Electoral Commission is prepared to cooperate with all forces that are interested in such cooperation, are genuinely concerned about our country’s problems, and are aware of the importance and momentous nature of elections in general and the current one in particular. All that the Central Electoral Commission wants is to hold the elections in a democratic and law-abiding manner. There is only one scenario that suits the Central Electoral Commission-strict observance of the law. There is only one sort of political know-how that suits the Central Electoral Commission-peace, stability, and well being in Ukraine. No one-not public administration bodies, politicians, or political forces-will succeed in influencing the work of the Central Electoral Commission. All we obey is the law. So I am stating in no uncertain terms: the Ukrainian elections will be held in any kind of political weather.”
Asked if he thinks that the comments of some European institutions, e.g., PACE, on the elections in Ukraine is interference in our internal affairs, the CEC chairman noted, “This is a natural and normal process. Why should we take a dim view of their remarks?” Discussing how the media cover the activities of some presidential candidates, Mr. Kivalov complained that “this is a problem that the CEC is unable to solve:” since “it is practically impossible to draw a line between the presidential candidate and the premier, the presidential candidate and the people’s deputy,” it is very difficult to determine whether a TV program or a publication has breached the law. Still, the CEC head says the commission looks into all complaints.
Serhiy Kivalov said he hopes a few more polling stations will be set up in the foreign countries where many Ukrainians reside-the CEC has written to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry in this matter. This question particularly concerns Transnistria, Portugal, and Italy, where 53,000, 60,000, and 18,000 Ukrainian citizens, respectively, reside. Mr. Kivalov confirmed that the government of Moldova has permitted the creation of polling stations in Transnistria, and Foreign Ministry reps have gone there to study the situation. The CEC head also announced that the first batch of ballot boxes was being flown abroad this week. Mr. Kivalov also mentioned the “niggling problem” of difficulties with manning territorial electoral committees. After some candidates called off their representatives and the latter bowed out of the process, the top staff of territorial committees was overhauled by almost 40%.
The CEC press service also disclosed a few interesting figures. The CEC has received 532 complaints, including 421 from presidential candidates and their campaign managers, 36 from territorial commission staff, and 75 from voters. The CEC has resolved to settle 8 out of the 500 processed complaints, partially settle 13, reject 119, and ignore 88.
As for the number of collected signatures, Viktor Yanukovych is leading by a wide margin with 7,183,212 followed by Viktor Yushchenko (1,756,263), Oleksandr Moroz (1,233,600), Leonid Chernovetsly (1,090,682), and Petro Symonenko (959,003). Mykhailo Brodsky’s team has collected the smallest number of “autographs” — 521,244-as well as of signatures that have not been accounted for — 1,321. Oleksandr Rzhavsky’s team showed the highest “rejection rate” in terms of signatures — 24,997. The CEC refused to accept 6,995 signatures for Roman Kozak and 6,363 for Volodymyr Nechyporuk.
As of September 30, the CEC registered 358 official observers from international organizations and foreign states.
The Central Electoral Commission approved a sample ballot at the same session: a 20 x 48 cm turquoise-colored sheet with graphic and other protective elements overlaid with a special dye.
