Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KIEV480
2006-02-03 16:25:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Kyiv
Cable title:  

UKRAINE: LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS PREPARE

Tags:  PGOV 
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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.

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