CVU: More infringements during the second round

According to the Committee of Voters of Ukraine [CVU], there were more infringements and problems than during the first round of voting, however the situation is not so critical as to influence the outcome.

Oleksandr Chernenko. Head of CVU, says that the voting was problematical, with numerous infringements and cases of abuse and that the situation overall was worse than during the first round. The situation he believes is linked both with the problems registered by the observers, and by the high level of conflict within polling precincts.

Mass transportation to the polling stations, “carousels” and vanishing ink

Among the main problems, Mr Chernenko named the mass scale transportation of voters to the polling stations in many regions, as well as attempts to take ballot papers outside the polling station in order to organize so-called “carousels”. He added that in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions they found pens with vanishing ink in polling booths.

“It is difficult at present to talk of any influence that these violations may have on the outcome. We’ll see how the vote count goes. It is that which will decide a lot, and infringements cannot be ruled out, however thus far the situation is worse, but not critical.”

Mr Chernenko did however say that fears connected with the amendments to the Law on the Presidential Elections had not proved justified. “We did indeed see a certain percentage of precincts where the members of commissions did not arrive and it was necessary to hold voting with limited numbers present. However that will not influence the outcome and those dangerous norms of the Law according to which representatives of the authorities could be brought in instead of those of the candidates did not, fortunately, cause problems.”

Natalya Nedilko