Today at 13:10 | Interfax-Ukraine A survey of voters as part of the national exit poll in the first round of the presidential election will be conducted at 240 polling stations instead of the planned 300 due to a shortage of funds.
Director of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation Ilko Kucheriv said this at a press conference on Jan. 13.
According to him, the cost of carrying out a national exist poll was initially set at Hr 2.64 million, or $330,000.
At present about one third of the planned sum, Hr 949,920 or $118,740, has been received from international donors. These funds were allocated by the International Renaissance Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy (the United States), the embassy of Holland in Ukraine, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
The foundation has asked Ukrainian politicians and citizens for financial support. At present a total of Hr 110,570 ($14,946) has been sent to an account of the foundation at Ukreximbank.
Some presidential candidates and politicians said they had transferred funds, but not all funds have reached the bank account. In particular, according to Kucheriv, presidential candidates Anatoliy Hrytsenko, Sergiy Tigipko and Mykhailo Brodsky transferred Hr 50,000 each, Yuriy Kostenko – UAH 30,000, Oleksandr Moroz – Hr 10,000, PM Ihor Sharov (the bloc of Lytvyn) – Hr 5,000 and Mayor of Cherkasy Serhiy Odarych – Hr 2,000.
Deputy leader of the Regions Party Hanna Herman and head of the press service of presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych Dmytro Ponamarchuk, political expert Oleh Medvedev and Director of the Institute of Mass Information Viktoria Siumar also transferred funds.
Kucheriv said that in the second round of voting, a national exit poll could be conducted at 300 polling stations – if the necessary funds are collected.
No wait dear readers……..there’s more……..
Today at 12:44 | Interfax-Ukraine Local agencies of the Justice Ministry of Ukraine have transferred corrected data on about 3,780 000 voters to agencies that are in charge of the state register of voters.
According to the press service of the department with a reference to Justice Minister Mykola Onischuk, this is data as of Jan. 13.
The minister said that in line with Article 34 of the law On the presidential election in Ukraine, local agencies of justice must submit information about voters who lived on their territories and who have died, and about voters who have changed their name, surname, patronymic, date or place of birth, no later than six days before the election day to the agencies that are in charge of the state register of voters.
In particular, during December 2009, data concerning about 75,000 citizens on the register of voters was amended.
The overall number of reports about voter data submitted by local agencies of the Justice Ministry in 2009-2010 so as to form the state register of voters concerned about four million citizens of Ukraine.
The minister said that the register was amended in line with the procedure for the primary amendment of personal data of the state register of voters, which was adopted in May 2009 under a resolution of the Central Election Commission.
………..And more………..
The eponymous parliamentary faction of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Jan. 14 walked out of an extraordinary plenary session after the chamber refused to floor amendments to the presidential election law.
Speaking for Tymoshenko’s faction, deputy Andriy Kozhemiakin called the proceedings a “farce.” He said the Party of Regions led by frontrunning presidential candidate Victor Yanukovych was preparing “massive falsification” of the the Jan. 17 vote by allowing voters in eastern and southern Ukraine to vote at home.
“According to our information, 12 percent of eligible voters have already filed petitions to vote at home,” Kozhemiakin said.
Deputy Rada speaker Volodymyr Lavrynovych, a member of Yanukovych’s party, refuted the claim, citing Central Election Commission findings indicating that only 1.5 percent of eligible voters in the regions have asked to vote at home.
Lavrynovych closed the parliamentary session after Tymoshenko’s faction walked out.
The 450-member parliament has been deadlocked for months. The two largest parliament factions are led by the frontrunners of the presidential election, Tymoshenko and Yanukovych.
……..And yet more………….
Deputy chairman of the Central Election Commission, Andriy Mahera, on Jan. 14 downplayed rumors about the ill health of the CEC chairman Volodymyr Shapoval.on the CEC website starting Jan. 18.
“I hope to see him later in the day,” said Mahera, adding media reports circulating on the Internet about Shapoval’s illness are exaggerated.
Mahera told the Kyiv Post that the CEC is currently gathering information about the number of voters who have already filed petitions with local polling precincts to vote at home.
“Anyone who wants to vote at home must appeal in writing to their local polling precinct no later than 12 hours before the vote,” said Mahera. He said it was “advisable” – but not obligatory – for applicants to provide supporting documentation. Polls open at 8 a.m and close at 8 p.m. on Jan. 17
Supporters of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a leading candidate, have alleged that her chief rival, Party of Regions leader Victor Yanukovych of using the home vote to falsify elections. Yanukovych has rejected the charge.
Mahera said the CEC is gathering information about how many voters have already applied to vote at home.
Oleksandr Chernenko, who heads the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, a non-profit organization funded by Western donors to observe the vote, that typically 1-2 percent of the population vote at home during most national elections.
Eight members of the 13-member CEC on Jan. 4 voted to permit home voting without defining the procedure.
Ukraine’s High Administration Court, which is charged with adjudicating legal complaints in the presidential poll, on Jan. 13 agreed with the CEC decision.
The decision said existing legislation does not oblige home voter to attach documentary proof of their impairment or sickness.
“The designation of a specific document home voters must obtain would impede this category of voters from exercising their right to vote,” the ruling says.
Results of the presidential election will be published
……..Oh go on then…….one more (of many)……..
http://www.sbu.gov.ua/sbu/control/uk/publish/article?art_id=96776&cat_id=39574
With 2 days to go it’s nice to see Ukraine has it’s sh*t together with the elections then!………Stand by for challenge after challenge after challenge and months of no leadership……..not that anyone will notice of course!
(Note to Baroness Ashton……come back in 2011…..I did warn you)
