It is widely believed that the Party of the Regions is blocking the elections because the results would not be favourable to the ruling party in the run-up to the presidential elections in 2015.

One candidate, Viktor Romanyuk, will be standing from Italy where he has been living since very questionable criminal proceedings were initiated against him following the elections

The authorities will clearly have learned some lessons, they will take a more subtle approach with techniques, including with bribing voters during the campaign stage so as to gain an advantage before Election Day

Viktor Romanyuk, opposition candidate for one of the problem constituencies at last year’s parliamentary elections, has complained to Strasbourg about the detention order issued against him which has forced him to stay in Italy and led to him temporarily being detained by the Italian authorities

After initial denial, the Kyiv Police have acknowledged that they used tear gas against demonstrators protesting against the latest meeting of the Kyiv City Council whose official term in office ended at the beginning of June

Ukraine’s Accounting Chamber has reported that over 955 million UAH were effectively wasted during the last parliamentary elections since the video surveillance equipment purchased was virtually not used

“Regardless of politicians’ and parties’ ratings, the survey showed that the citizens of Kyiv want to elect their legitimate authorities and now." Oleksandr Chernenko, Committee of Voters of Ukraine

The possibility raised by the President of a referendum is at once meaningless, and highly manipulative. Nobody is inviting Ukraine to join the EU, and the failure of Yanukovych’s regime to implement far less stringent requirements is placing the vital Association Agreement in very real jeopardy.

Civic organizations, including the election watchdogs - Committee of Voters of Ukraine [CVU] and OPORA – are calling for amendments to be made to the law on the parliamentary and local elections now, well in advance of the 2015 elections.

The elections have been scheduled for 15 December however the Deputy Head of the CEC points out that at present they have no money for this with the government having re-channeled its funding to pay for the controversial CCTV cameras at polling stations

European integration is Ukraine’s chance to climb out of a post-Soviet dead-end. That, however, means real commitment to electoral and other democratic values, not more cosmetic touches which will have rubbed off before any agreement can be ratified

Berkut riot police were, as usual, out in force and attempts by protesters to prevent a much disputed session of the Kyiv City Council on Monday morning failed

The process underway in Ukraine of moving all goalposts may lack finesse, but it is certainly comprehensive. Adjust all rules; add your own referee and you’re home and dry. Two Kyiv Administrative Court rulings on 9 August were disturbingly predictable.

Prominent journalists and civic activists Ihor Lutsenko and Yehor Sobolev have been jailed for 5 days over a peaceful, f unconventional, attempt to draw attention to the refusal to call new elections for Kyiv Mayor and City Council

CVU: In an interview for Ukrainska Moloda, the head of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine [CVU], Oleksandr Chernenko was asked whether the Presidential elections might be postponed; about the likely role played by Yulia Tymoshenko and other questions

Kyiv’s District Administrative Court on Friday allowed a session of the Kyiv City Council to be called and held, finding that the work of this council was lawful. This is despite the fact that the term of office clearly stipulated in the Constitution has expired

The government is increasing the powers of the Head of the Kyiv City State Administration [KCSA] Oleksandr Popov. Observers and the opposition see this as an attempt to neutralize the future mayor chosen by Kyiv residents.

The Justice Ministry has ignored most of the Venice Commission’s recommendations on changes to electoral legislation with only 2 of 10 recommendations on improvements in legislation fully taken into account

A study has found that MPs’ legislative activities are little in keeping with those promises, and most of their time is spent lobbying their business interests

Not unexpectedly, a Milan court has refused to extradite Viktor Romanyuk, parliamentary candidate in the problematic single-mandate electoral district No. 94. The criminal charges were brought after an election which Romanyuk was winning until a court invalidated 30 thousand votes on application from his Party of the Regions rival