REFLECTIONS OF ELECTION OBSERVERS: From Kyiv to Dnipropetrovsk (01/30/05)

REFLECTIONS OF ELECTION OBSERVERS

From Kyiv to Dnipropetrovsk

by Andriy Panas

Mattey Rakowsky and I left for Ukraine on December 21 from Newark airport. We had a short layover in Warsaw and arrived in Kyiv on the afternoon of December 22. From Boryspil International Airport we went directly to the heart of Kyiv to register at the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America office located right off Khreschatyk at 2 Prorizna St.

At the UCCA office we received our accreditation that recognized us as official observers of the December 26 election, as well as information as to where we would be staying in Kyiv. That night we went to "Baraban," a local bar where we met other observers, some of whom were familiar faces from the New York metro area.

We heard there was a program on the maidan so we went. It was out first taste of the real sentiment in Kyiv - 80,000 plus people, most clad in orange, holding flags, streamers, banners and balloons. The Klitschko brothers, Ruslana and other celebrities spoke, as did members of the Yushchenko team, including Yulia Tymoshenko.

When it was Viktor Yushchenko's turn he literally stopped time. When he spoke you could hear a pin drop, and when he paused the people began chanting "Yush-chen-ko, Yush-chen-ko" - you couldn't hear anything else. It was amazing to see such passion and to feel such energy from so many people.

The following day we attended a briefing sponsored by UCCA. It was a seminar dedicated to informing those in attendance of the expectations and responsibilities of an international observer. The session lasted some three hours, during which we received some good pointers, relevant documentation and reference material that would aid us on election day.

After a late dinner, it was decided that a group of fellow observers, 14 people, would talk to some of the people inside "tent city." Only a few individuals, mostly security, were active and when we spoke to one individual about being escorted inside, he was hesitant to let us in. After some small talk and an explanation that we were official observers, they decided to let us in.

The organization of "tent city" was beyond comprehension. They had security personnel who checked IDs, as well as our bags. They were strict on two things - alcohol and weapons - there was to be none of any kind. It was the perfect example of civil resistance.

It was 2 a.m., so most of tent city was asleep. However, there were two individuals sitting around a fire - Mattey asked to take a picture and they asked him to sit down. Eventually everyone came back to sit around the fire. A guitar was brought out and everyone began to sing. The songs broke down all of the barriers about us being "Westerners." They were amazed that we knew the same traditional Ukrainian songs and hymns, and they brought out hot tea and sandwiches. In another tent where we were offered "salo," bread, garlic and onion. On our way out they let us sign the inside of the tent's walls, and gave us Yuschenko banners and other articles.

On Saturday, December 25, we took a 7:05 a.m. train that brought us directly to Dnipropetrovsk. Later that afternoon we joined the Ukrainian Canadian Congress contingent where we were given forms and documentation and assigned to a domestic observer named Larissa Chovnuk.

On the morning of December 26, I opened the polling station located at the school. The process began at 7:15 a.m. and lasted until the doors were opened for the election to begin. Larissa and I proceeded to go to 15 different stations, where we would talk to observers who where assigned to the particular polling station. If there where specific problems I would go to the commission and ask for clarification. Such clarification included questions on the voter list regarding who was registered to vote via the mobile ballot box, who was entitled to vote as an absentee, etc. Most violations were minor and I did not witness any of the blatant intimidation that was allegedly apparent in the first run-off.

I returned to the same polling station where I began in the morning so I could witness the closing and ballot counting. The station was closed at 8 p.m. and the process of sorting and counting the ballots lasted until 1:30 a.m. the next day. Once the ballots were properly counted and packaged, and protocols signed and stamped, we followed the van containing the ballots back to the election commission. I waited until the numbers were presented to the commission, which happened at 6 a.m. on Monday morning.

That same day all of the observers in Dnipropetrovsk had an official de-briefing, where they collected our forms, videotapes and commentary. We caught a 5 p.m. train back to Kyiv. The train station was packed with Yushchenko supporters who were happy with the preliminary results. We found a train car with local observers, befriended them and sang with them all the way back to Kyiv.

Our last night in Kyiv, December 28, was again spent on the maidan. Over 100,000 joined together to watch an elaborate program highlighted by several performers and speakers. Among the speakers were again Ms. Tymoshenko and Mr. Yushchenko. The program ended with a display of fireworks and the singing of the national anthem; many were crying and it was a very moving experience.

Andriy Panas of Budd Lake, N.J., is a member of the Chornomorska Sitch executive board, president of the Sitch Foundation and playing coach of the Chornomorska Sitch soccer team.

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