The course of the election campaign through the eyes of the Volyn branch of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine

Today, a press conference was held in the premises of the Volyn branch of the CVU, which addressed the course of the election campaign and threats to transparent elections in Volyn. Representatives of the Volyn branch of the CVU presented analytical materials on the implementation of Committee of Voters projects, presented their own observations of the election process and information on the main violations of election legislation in the region.

Within the framework of the project "Promoting the Organization of Elections in Ukraine," implemented in Ukraine by Development Associates, Inc. with the support of USAID, 28 training seminars-workshops were conducted for future heads, deputy heads, secretaries and members of precinct election commissions, in which about 3,300 people took part. In the near future, 22 more training seminars will be conducted for the leadership of precinct election commissions.

Under the project "Electoral Education and Overcoming Social Passivity among the Unemployed (including youth) of Remote Districts of Volyn Oblast," 16 seminars were conducted and about 5,000 brochures "Let Us Elect a Government Responsible to the Community" were distributed.

During long-term observation of the election process in Volyn, the following problems of the election campaign were identified.

FORMATION AND WORK OF ELECTION COMMISSIONS

All district election commissions of Volyn Oblast received voter lists and absentee ballot certificates on time. Minor changes occurred in their leadership and composition. Thus, in the Volodymyr-Volynskyi DEC, one member submitted a statement resigning their duties. In Lyubeshiv - 3 members, in Lyuboml - 2.

FORMATION OF PECs.

In Volyn, a violation of election legislation is observed regarding the violation of deadlines for the formation of precinct election commissions, which must be formed no later than February 18. Party organizations approached the formation of lists of candidates for work in precinct election commissions with varying degrees of responsibility. In the Volodymyr-Volynskyi district election precinct (district No. 20), according to the commission head, there is an excess of candidates; in Lyuboml as of February 22, the process of transferring voter lists and absentee ballot certificates to precinct commissions is ongoing. In TVO No. 22 (Lokachi urban-type settlement), information about the formation of PECs in the local district newspaper will be published only on Saturday, while the process of finding candidates for positions of members of precinct election commissions continues, with a particularly noticeable shortage of commission members in Turiisk district. Voter lists and absentee ballot certificates have not yet been transferred to precinct commissions; the first PEC meetings are only being planned for the near future.

In territorial election district No. 23 (Lutsk city), no particular problems are observed; several statements refusing to work in commissions have been received.

In Kovel territorial election district No. 24, as of 22.02, 7 PECs had not yet been staffed due to the refusal of approved leadership candidates to work in the elections.

In Manevychi district No. 25, after the publication of information about the formation of precinct commissions in local media, statements resigning the powers of PEC members began to arrive en masse - 92 refusals.

In territorial election district No. 26, Kamin-Kashyrskyi city with Lyubeshiv urban-type settlement, as of 22.02, voter lists had not yet been transferred and commissions had not yet been formed. Local authorities were engaged in supplementing PECs, since a significant portion of members from political parties wrote statements refusing to work in commissions.

Several complaints were received about the arrangement of premises for TVK work: one of the precincts of Kamin-Kashyrskyi district has no heating, and at precinct No. 40 of district 25 (Mateiky village, Manevychi district) there is no telephone connection.

The deadlines for transferring strict reporting forms were violated due to PECs not being fully staffed with leadership. Voter lists are not available for public review at precincts of territorial election districts Nos. 22, 24, 25, 26.

The first meetings of precinct commissions in TVO 20 and 23 took place on time and in compliance with procedure and quorum. Cases were recorded where commissions did not notify their members about meetings - they could not find them. The presence of unauthorized persons at meetings was not observed. Commissions provide information to observers and journalists.

There were cases when PEC members confused the names of parties they were supposed to represent in the commission.

AGITATION.

During the reporting period, political parties most often violated the rules on the use of pre-election agitation. Article 71, part 23 (Law of Ukraine on Elections of People's Deputies of Ukraine) was violated: in the center of Lutsk, in the agitation tents of NSHU, advertising special issues of the newspaper "Nasha Ukraina. Volyn" are being distributed without any imprint data.