Electoral wars continue in Volyn. This is not news for all of Ukraine either, but the confrontation between the blocks of NSNU and BYuT is a separate matter, and its projection onto Volyn is quite interesting. Especially the case that happened on Monday... \n \nSince both parties share the same electorate, the "nesuny" [NSNU supporters] began attacking the "byutivtsi" [BYuT supporters], hoping to win over part of the voters. \n \nLutsk residents remember how, even before the New Year, on Teatralnyi Maidan, special issues of the newspaper "Chervonyi Perets" were handed out to people from an orange tent, where unambiguous "pepper" jokes were aimed "right on target" — at the political force with which they would have to share supporters of the same ideology. \nSince then, little has changed. BYuT is licking its wounds after the gas battles and the situational commonality with leftist forces during the vote for the government's dismissal, and NSNU tries to emphasize this in every issue of its campaign materials. The People's Union "Our Ukraine" bloc in Volyn has never fully formed; today it consists of only three parties, while three others have "sewn themselves off." \n \nPolitical Volyn lazily observes these battles, hoping not to miss something interesting. And something interesting did happen... \n \nEvery Monday, an administrative meeting is held at the Volyn Regional State Administration. This week was no exception. It was solemn, extremely representative, and a larger hall than usual was used for it. Representatives of prosecutor's offices, the Security Service, and other law enforcement agencies were invited. This was done to draw the attention of those present to the fact of the use of administrative resources, which allegedly took place on the part of BYuT representatives. \n \nAccused of administrative influence on the electoral process is the head of the Kivertsi district organization of "Batkivshchyna," the first number on the BYuT list for the regional council, and the head of the district state administration, Anatolii Hrytsiuk. \n \nIn the official address of the head of the district election commission, which was made public by the head of the regional state administration, Volodymyr Bondar, it states: \n"Using his official position, Hrytsiuk A.P. during the unification inter-party conference on nominating candidates for deputies of the district council illegally used administrative resources to the fullest extent, which manifested in the following: \n\n- at the time of the conference, Hrytsiuk A.P. was not on leave as a subject of the electoral process;\n\n- the conference took place during working hours and in the official premises of the district state administration without concluding a lease agreement for the premises;\n\n- heads of village councils and territorial election commissions were officially summoned to the conference;\n\n- at the conference, public campaigning was conducted to vote for the electoral bloc 'Bloc of Yuliya Tymoshenko.'" \n \nIn view of such actions, the election commission officially warned Mr. Hrytsiuk about the cancellation of the conference's decision and the deregistration of candidates for deputies of the district council from the Bloc of Yuliya Tymoshenko. \n \nThe head of the district election commission, Oleksii Revko, signed this document. \n\nVolodymyr Bondar added his own comment to the address: "As far as I understand, Mr. Revko is a fellow party member of Mr. Hrytsiuk — at least, he was in 'Batkivshchyna' for a long time. Since the head of the Kivertsi district state administration has already been warned about the inadmissibility of such things, a submission will now be sent to the President of Ukraine proposing that Anatolii Hrytsiuk be reprimanded. The next such action could be his last." \n\nMr. Bondar "scared" his other subordinates with similar warnings, and also instructed law enforcement officers to check some other unverified information regarding the Kivertsi district — namely, that managers are being forced to hang portraits of certain political leaders, their campaign posters and slogans in their offices. \n\nIt would be illogical not to seek a comment from Anatolii Hrytsiuk himself. He believes that such accusations are nothing other than a political order, and he regards the appearance of Oleksii Revko's address to the governor as an attempt to settle personal scores. \n\n— We did indeed approach the head of the commission with a notice that we wanted to hold a conference in the session hall of the district council, — explains Anatolii Hrytsiuk. — But the documents did not bear the signature and seal of the USDP, with which we had allied, so we withdrew this notice. I personally told Mr. Revko about this. \n\nOn that day, we held only a working meeting of members of election commissions and village council heads to study electoral legislation. And the conference on nominating candidates for deputies of the district council we moved to another day and held it in compliance with all requirements — outside working hours, at the bloc's headquarters, with the participation of election commission representatives. There were no complaints against us. \n\nHe explained the reason for the appearance of the commission's act by the fact that "at one time Mr. Revko headed the district organization of 'Batkivshchyna.' When the conference elected me as the new head of the organization, he took offense and moved to another party. Now he is doing everything to prevent our political force from participating in the elections, to deregister 'Batkivshchyna.' Having become head of the commission, he himself received administrative resources, which he now directs against us, trying to play on the temporary difficulties that have arisen in relations between 'Batkivshchyna' and the party represented by the governor. As for the statements about deregistering our candidates, they are absolutely groundless. Only a court has the right to make such a decision. And if we had really violated the law, then, I am convinced, there would already be a lawsuit and a corresponding decision." \n\nCurrently, the head of the regional state administration, Volodymyr Bondar, has stated that he will send a submission to the President proposing that the official be reprimanded. Whether he will do this before an official investigation or after — time will tell. \n\nBut the question remains open: has the Volyn governor become a hostage of an unreliable informant? \n\nWhat will come of the attempt to sink one of the little ships of the opposition political force? \n\nWill the "law-abiding" head of the election commission succeed in his attempt to settle personal scores with the help of the head of the regional state administration? \n\nIndeed. Time will tell... \nOleksii Dudych, Lutsk, 02.02.2006 10:00:40