UKRAINE: LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS PREPARE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KIEV 000480 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SUBJECT: UKRAINE: LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS PREPARE FOR ELECTIONS (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Internet distribution. Please handle accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: In preparation for Ukraine's March 26 parliamentary elections, the independent Committee of Voters of Ukraine (CVU) and the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission recently held briefings on their findings and plans. The CVU noted that while there some abuse of administrative resources had occurred, it was not systematic and was at a more local level than during the 2004 Presidential election. Political party representatives present generally agreed with this assessment, with the exception of the representative from Speaker Lytvyn's bloc who refused to rule out an attempt by the government to systematically exploit administrative resources. The OSCE/ODIHR mission rolled out its plan for observing the March 26 election to the diplomatic corps, and noted that it would observe the concurrent local elections only as they related to the parliamentary elections that OSCE had a mandate to observe. In a separate meeting with Ambassador, the head of the OSCE/ODIHR observer mission expressed his intention to keep a close watch out for the abuse of administrative resources. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) As the run-up to Ukraine's March 26 Rada (Parliament) and local elections continues, both the Committee of Voters of Ukraine (CVU) and the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission held roundtable discussions, January 31 and February 2 respectively, to present their programs and findings. Separately, Ambassador met February 2 with Ambassador Lubomir Kopaj, head of the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission. CVU: Administrative Resource use local, non-systematic -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) At its January 31 roundtable, the well respected election watchdog Committee of Voters of Ukraine presented its report covering the period from December 26 to January ¶26. The report noted that, "compared to December, the number of cases of administrative resource abuse increased. However, it was not systematic and was used for the benefit of a number of political forces, and therefore did not have a decisive or significant impact on the course of the election campaign." During his presentation of the report, CVU Deputy Head Yevhen Poberezhny noted that the formation of District Election Commissions (DECs) and Polling Station Commissions 
(PSCs) was proceeding in an organized and legal fashion. Poberezhny listed as problems the fact that some parties had not yet submitted names of their representatives for the PSCs and DECs, that some commissions were not well organized, and that some local authorities were not cooperating with the PSCs and DECs. Poberezhny noted that there were some instances of administrative resources being used inappropriately, but that any such practice had been unsystematic and confined to a more local level than in the 2004 Presidential elections. Poberezhny observed that in some instances local authorities had been actively combating the abuse of administrative resources. Poberezhny noted that in some instances parties had not wanted to publish their local election lists. (Note: A frequently cited likely motivation for parties not wanting to disclose their local party list is the presence of unsavory or notorious local politicians/businessmen on the list.) ¶4. (SBU) The CVU invited representatives from the main political parties to comment on the CVU findings. While Oleh Zarubinsky from Speaker Lytvyn's Bloc expressed doubts about the CVU assessment that administrative resources would not be used on a widespread basis, the CVU representatives stuck to their assessment that administrative resource use had been non-systematic and localized. Zarubinsky voiced concern about families trying to vote in place of relatives working abroad on election. Oleh Medvedev, representing Tymoshenko's bloc (BYuT),stated that he thought this would be the most democratic election campaign in the ex-Soviet space. While Medvedev noted as a positive development President Yushchenko's signature of a Presidential decree aimed at preventing the abuse of administrative resources, he also stressed the importance of Yushchenko's Peoples Union Our Ukraine (PUOU) separating its party functions from its role in government. Medvedev allowed that there would probably be some use of administrative resources in western Ukraine, but noted that with BYuT and PUOU competing, they would be watching each other closely. Medvedev stressed the importance of being alert to potential Russian interference in the elections, citing the "info-warfare" and economic pressure being applied to Ukraine, and calling for international observers to keep an eye on Russia. ¶5. (SBU) Ihor Zhdanov from PUOU noted that PUOU had told its members not to use administrative resources, on threat of expulsion from the party. Andriy Duda from the Presidential Secretariat thought that admin resources would be used mostly SIPDIS in eastern Ukraine, and that it would be more local councils using admin resources to influence voters, rather than regional administrations. (Note: Regional administration chiefs are appointed by the President, while local councils are locally elected.) As an example of PUOU's probity, Zhdanov noted that PUOU campaign chief Roman Bezsmertniy had resigned as Deputy Prime Minister to run PUOU's election campaign. Ihor Ostach from the Pora/Reforms and Order Bloc noted that many people involved in rigging the 2004 Presidential election were showing up on election commissions, but any violations this year would be nothing compared to 2004. Duda from the Presidential Secretariat observed that every election in Ukraine since 2002 had been marked by abuse of administrative resources, but that if anyone had information that there was a systematic effort underway to use admin resources, he would like to see it in court. OSCE/ODIHR launches Election Observation Mission -------------- --- ¶6. (SBU) On February 2 the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission (EOM) held the first in a series of bi-weekly roundtables for Diplomatic Missions and International Organizations in Kiev. EOM head Ambassador Lubomir Kopaj chaired the meeting, introduced his staff and described the observation mission, with 50 long-term observers (LTOs) assigned in two-person teams and 600 short-term observers requested. Each two-person LTO team is planned to be responsible for approximately 9 of the 225 DECs in Ukraine. The ODIHR mission planned to prepare three interim reports on the pre-election situation, with the first report expected the week of February 13. The ODIHR mission planned to make a preliminary statement on the conduct of the March 26 vote on March 27. During the question-and-answer session, Kopaj noted that the EOM's mandate was to observe the parliamentary election, and that there would be no observation of the local elections as such. Kopaj said the EOM would comment on the local election only as it related to or affected the conduct of the parliamentary election. Kopaj noted that he had met briefly with Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Davydovych and would be meeting him for a more in-depth working meeting soon. Kopaj indicated that the STO force would be supplemented by representatives from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the European Parliament. According to Kopaj, Ukraine had also invited bilateral observers and the United Nations to observe the parliamentary elections. ¶7. (SBU) Later February 2, Kopaj called on Ambassador. Kopaj expressed confidence that his team had a good working level relationship with the CEC. Kopaj noted that potential use of administrative resources was of great interest to the EOM, and that their LTOs would be well positioned to judge if there was a pattern of central control in the use of administrative resources. Kopaj noted that local use of administrative resource was possible, as subordinates tried to show their loyalty to superiors, citing several elections he observed where political parties had to ask their members not to abuse administrative resources. Kopaj said he had met with Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk and with political party leaders, and would be meeting with election-relevant Ukrainian officials, including the Minister of Interior, the Prosecutor General, and the Minister of Justice. Kopaj said that the recommendations OSCE/ODIHR made after the Presidential elections had been taken seriously by the GOU, and that the OSCE was preparing an opinion on the revised election laws. Kopaj emphasized that, with the EOM making three interim reports on the conduct of the election campaign, their final conclusions should not be a surprise. Kopaj expressed desire for the EOM to do what the GOU had asked OSCE/ODIHR to do -- give them an honest, impartial assessment of the election with substantive recommendations for improvements. ¶8. (U) Visit Embassy Kiev's classified website: www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev. HERBST