Ukraine gears up for presidential election; Observers concerned about voting abroad (10/24/04)

Ukraine gears up for presidential election

Observers concerned about voting abroad

by Roman Woronowycz
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - With some 4 million to 7 million Ukrainians estimated to be living and working abroad, the issue of access to polling stations abroad and the manner in which their votes will be secured is no small concern.

Some political observers are worried that the indiscriminate opening of polling stations abroad could open the door to vote falsification, particularly in Russia, where the Association of Ukrainians in Russia has learned of plans to open up to 650 additional voting precincts, even in places where few Ukrainian citizens live.

Representatives of two Ukrainian civic groups said at a press conference in Kyiv on October 21 that simple math suggests that up to 1 million votes could be falsified in Russia alone.

Valerii Semenenko, vice-chairman of the Association of Ukrainians in Russia and chairman of the Ukrainians of Moscow, said that even if only 400 precincts were established throughout Russia, that would leave open the possibility to gather 2,000 to 3,000 votes in each precinct. Mr. Semenenko questioned why so many precincts were needed when no more than 20,000 Ukrainian citizens reside beyond Moscow and its outlying areas, which meant that no more than several dozen Ukrainian citizens would be available to utilize the polling station, even if all decided to vote.

The Association of Ukrainians in Russia is an umbrella organization that coordinates the work of more than 80 regional Ukrainian organizations.

Mr. Semenenko's colleague, Vasyl Antoniv, head of the Moscow-based Ukrainian language organization Slavutych, said he hadn't heard and didn't see an objective reason for such an increase in voting stations.

"These are the fourth presidential elections in Ukraine and those [living in Russia] with Ukrainian passports earlier had no problems voting at the six precincts that were established each time," explained Mr. Antoniv.

Markian Lubkivskyi, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, announced on March 12 that in response to calls from Ukrainians abroad the number of polling stations located in foreign countries where Ukrainians reside would increase by 114 precincts over the levels of previous elections.

Mr. Lubkivskyi noted that Russian, Vietnamese and Italian officials had already agreed to open additional polling precincts on their territories, although the numbers had not yet been specified. Moldovan officials had given the okay for a polling station in the region of the self-declared Trans-Dniester Republic, where many Ukrainians still live.

To allay fears of vote fraud and falsification, the Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman noted that 1,457 Ukrainian citizens would work at the elections commissions abroad, including 153 official representatives of the presidential candidates.

There is concern, however, that the opening of precincts abroad could give those counting the results of the October 31 vote the ability to manipulate the election results. The complaints have included charges that manipulation could occur by withholding the right to vote to Ukrainian citizens residing in areas abroad whose vote might not result in benefit to the pro-government presidential candidate. Others have voiced concern that by saturating specific countries with precincts, the count in support of certain candidates could be boosted.

One Ukrainian citizen residing in Cleveland questioned in a letter to The Ukrainian Weekly why the decision to consider a voting precinct for that U.S city, which has its own honorary consul and a large Ukrainian population, came so late, effectively giving reason to doubt that Ukrainian citizens residing in or near that city would have the right to vote. An overwhelming number of Ukrainians living there today are from the western regions of Ukraine and in all likelihood would support National Deputy Viktor Yushchenko rather than his main competitor, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

In Russia, the matter is more complicated, inasmuch as the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin have effectively expressed their endorsement for the presidential candidacy of the Ukrainian prime minister. What has increased concern over how fairly ballots from Russia would be counted is the inexplicable rise in polling stations and the seemingly secretive manner in which the additional polls are being organized.

"We received information from the Kobzar Ukrainian organization of Bashkorstan that they had obtained information from the [Ukrainian] Embassy that they would have 11 voting precincts, even though the number of Ukrainian citizens there does not exceed 2,900," explained Mr. Semenenko of the Association of Ukrainians in Russia.

Mr. Semenenko explained further that when he contacted the Embassy of Ukraine in Moscow he could not get a definitive answer on how many new precincts would be added and where they would be located. He noted that the idea of 650 additional precincts, or even 420, which was the latest number he had heard, was absurd.

"We see no reason for 400 or even 200 election precincts," explained Mr. Semenenko, who noted that his organization had formally turned to both Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central Election Commission to limit the number of polling stations.

Mr. Semenenko said he believed that no more than 1,000 Ukrainians living in Moscow would vote and pointed out that only 100 or so had officially turned to the Ukrainian Embassy to request voting ballots.

"I talk to them and have asked many of them whether they will vote and the answer is invariably no," Mr. Semenenko said. "Either they are scared, or are not legally registered, or do not have time. But immediately the thought arises: their election ballots will be filled out for them."

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