Trampling the law
21.05.2000
The agiotage around President election is growing. Many people still remember unpleasant details of the previous election to the Supreme Rada and local self-rule, which were far from sinless. Many of the present pretenders to the post of the head of our state already anticipate the falsification of the results. They have grounds for their fears. The preliminary results of forming the territorial elective commissions are such: 80 commissions (31.4%) are headed by Kuchma. s representatives, whereas the supporters of A. Moroz, E. Marchuk, A. Tkachenko and V. Oliynyk rolled together head only 52 commissions out of 255. Thus, the situation is favorable to the operating President.
A similar situation is about the pre-election agitation. Article 33 of the law of Ukraine . On election of the President of Ukraine. adopted in March 1999 is violated and state TV and radio companies together with the press carry out active agitation for Kuchma, not only disregarding other candidates, but making public compromising materials against them. Numerous attempts are made to discredit other pretenders to the Presidential post in the eyes of the public and the wide circle of potential voters.
State officials of all ranks publicly express their loyalty to Leonid Kuchma, thus violating the above-mentioned law. For example, the newspaper of the Odessa city council . Odesskiy vestnik. published the interview with S.Grinevetskiy, the governor of the Odessa oblast. It was done on 29 May, when President Kuchma was not registered yet as a candidate. The governor declared that he would vote for Kuchma and expressed his neglect to other candidates.
On 17 July the same . Odesskiy vestnik. published an article by R. Bodelan, who had received power in the city not as a result of legal election, but according to the President. s decree. The article is titled . The man who wants good to us. . President Kuchma there is called . dear Leonid Danilovich. , . the most prepared man for the Presidency. , and so on, and so forth.
The pompous celebration of the . City Day. in Odessa, held in the beginning of September, also passed . under the sign of Kuchma. , who specially came to this routine enterprise, which was transformed to his pre-election show. At the same time the local authorities create obstacles for meetings of other candidates with voters in the city of Odessa and its rural districts.
A large number of such scandals occur every day. Sometimes the supporters of other candidates are persecuted or sacked from their jobs.
L. Kuchma made a timely statement that . any rumors on the serious personnel shuffling are absurd. . In his opinion, the Ukrainian oblasts are ruled by . expert teams capable to solve social and economic problems. . How these problems are solved we feel by the consecutive coils of the inflation. However, such a declaration during the election campaign is nothing but a direct bribe given to state officials.
Who believes that we shall have honest election?
A similar situation is about the pre-election agitation. Article 33 of the law of Ukraine . On election of the President of Ukraine. adopted in March 1999 is violated and state TV and radio companies together with the press carry out active agitation for Kuchma, not only disregarding other candidates, but making public compromising materials against them. Numerous attempts are made to discredit other pretenders to the Presidential post in the eyes of the public and the wide circle of potential voters.
State officials of all ranks publicly express their loyalty to Leonid Kuchma, thus violating the above-mentioned law. For example, the newspaper of the Odessa city council . Odesskiy vestnik. published the interview with S.Grinevetskiy, the governor of the Odessa oblast. It was done on 29 May, when President Kuchma was not registered yet as a candidate. The governor declared that he would vote for Kuchma and expressed his neglect to other candidates.
On 17 July the same . Odesskiy vestnik. published an article by R. Bodelan, who had received power in the city not as a result of legal election, but according to the President. s decree. The article is titled . The man who wants good to us. . President Kuchma there is called . dear Leonid Danilovich. , . the most prepared man for the Presidency. , and so on, and so forth.
The pompous celebration of the . City Day. in Odessa, held in the beginning of September, also passed . under the sign of Kuchma. , who specially came to this routine enterprise, which was transformed to his pre-election show. At the same time the local authorities create obstacles for meetings of other candidates with voters in the city of Odessa and its rural districts.
A large number of such scandals occur every day. Sometimes the supporters of other candidates are persecuted or sacked from their jobs.
L. Kuchma made a timely statement that . any rumors on the serious personnel shuffling are absurd. . In his opinion, the Ukrainian oblasts are ruled by . expert teams capable to solve social and economic problems. . How these problems are solved we feel by the consecutive coils of the inflation. However, such a declaration during the election campaign is nothing but a direct bribe given to state officials.
Who believes that we shall have honest election?