13:24 23.11.2020

Second round of mayoral elections in some cities on Nov 22 held in accordance with standards, but technologies of voters' bribery used in five cities - CVU

3 min read

KYIV. Nov 23 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The second round of mayoral elections on November 22 was held in accordance with democratic standards in a number of cities, but technologies aimed at bribing voters were used in five cities, said head of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine (CVU) Oleksiy Koshel.

"According to our observation, we have reason to say that in half of the cities the elections were held in accordance with democratic standards, but in five cities of eleven, our observers noted the use of technologies that are part of mechanisms for bribery of voters," he said the press conference held at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Monday.

Koshel noted that CVU observers noted the mass photographing of ballots, the transportation of voters to the polling stations, including with the help of private vehicles.

"The facts recorded by our observers in Cherkasy, when voters were taken to polling stations by private cars, were indicative. Observers of the CVU recorded about 10 of such facts in Cherkasy. They recorded so-called 'carousels' and photographing of ballots in Cherkasy," he said.

Koshel also said that in Dnipro, in one of the informal Viber-groups called "Side Job Elections in Dnipro", voters were asked to leave their passport data and so that they would vote for UAH 1,500. On election day, November 22, this group numbered nearly 25,000.

"We have reason to state that the number of facts and the scale of technologies related to bribery have significantly grown compared to the first round of elections and compared to the voting on November 15. Given a low turnout, the technology of bribery and activation of their electoral groups is greatly enhanced," the head of CVU said.

In addition, Koshel drew attention to the big problem with anti-epidemic measures at polling stations. "We again recorded non-working thermometers. In general, I get the impression that the Ministry of Health isolated itself from the elections and they did nothing either in terms of recommendations on the eve of the second round, or in terms of practical actions, so that the polling sites are properly provided," he said.

As reported, the re-voting (the so-called second round) in the mayoral elections was held in 11 cities of Ukraine on Sunday, November 22.

Residents of the cities of Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Lviv, Poltava, Rivne, Cherkasy, Uzhgorod (Zakarpattia region), Sloviansk (Donetsk region), Berdiansk (Zaporizhia region), Drohobych (Lviv region) and Nikopol (Dnipropetrovsk region) were electing one out of two candidates who entered the second round.

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