Threats aim to derail Ukraine's presidential vote

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Source: Associated Press/Yahoo

Ukraine is holding a presidential election Sunday but it has become downright dangerous for many in the east to be associated with the vote, since the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk declared independence last week. Ukrainian police and election officials accuse pro-Russia gunmen there of seizing election commission offices and threatening members in an effort to derail the presidential vote.

The struggling interim government in Kiev has been counting on the presidential election to install a leader who would be seen as a legitimate successor to Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia in February after months of street protests. But the long-anticipated election may not be considered legitimate by Russia or Ukrainians themselves if people in a large part of the country are unable or unwilling to cast their ballots.

Nearly 15 percent of Ukraine's population lives on territory now largely controlled by pro-Russia militias.

"No one is going to vote because no one wants to get a bullet in their forehead," said 68-year-old Donetsk resident Dmytro Zarubo. "We've been threatened with this."


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/threats-aim-derail-ukraines-presidential-vote-142851725.html

---

How do you try to get as much leverage as possible from your talking point that the interim government is "illegitimate" and the result of a "coup"? By trying your all to prevent elections from going forward, of course.

[karynnj]

1. Where are the pro-Russia defenders on this?

Will they note that the Ukrainian forces did NOTHING to prevent what they called an illegal election?

Mathematically, it may end up with a person who wins so overwhelmingly that it is hard to question. However, there are 21 candidates! Per wikipedia, " Ukraine's electoral law provides for a two-round system electoral system to elect the President; a candidate must win an absolute majority of all votes cast. If no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the first round of voting then the two highest polling candidates contest a run-off second ballot."

At the moment, from polling Petro Poroshenko is polling above 54%.

http://www.ibtimes.com/chocolate-king-petro-poroshenko-far-ahead-ukraine-presidential-poll-1584911

I assume that that polling weighs eastern Ukraine properly. IF that is true, the actual percent he is likely to get if there is little or no Eastern Ukraine vote is very likely to be higher - as they are unlikely to be the source of much of his support. If this is true, he might be enough above 50% than an argument could be made that he would have won with a full vote in East Ukraine.

All I know, is that if I were Ukrainian and not firmly for another candidate, I might consider a vote for him as a vote to get past the illegitimacy.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. Because, cookies, coups and neo-Nazis!

Duh!

[pampango]

3. I think that having an "unelected", "fascist-influenced" government in Kiev serves their purpose

quite well. The last I saw the Svoboda presidential candidate is polling around 1.5% so there will likely be a new government in Kiev that is "elected" and with no "fascists" anywhere in sight. That's not good for some folks.

[karynnj]

4. Unless they have a problem with chocolate

After all, you know that it is often used in cookies. Next conspiracy, did the Nuland cookies include chunks made by the leading candidate? Inquiring minds want to know.

Seriously, I agree with you that their constant reference to both Right sector and Svoboda - both of whom are fringe candidates - will take a hit if these candidates get as few votes as seems likely.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

9. Can't say I'm entirely thrilled at the slate of candidates.

Poroshenko is essentially another oligarch, so following Yanukovych, you worry that it might just be a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

But so long as he doesn't start shooting protesters, that in and of itself would constitute an improvement over Yanukovych at least.

[Jesus Malverde]

10. You do know Nuland is a cheney protege and a neocon...

Why would you defend her?

[karynnj]

17. I didn't - I was speaking of the leading candidate - who is a chocolate billionaire!

I was JOKING that some here might find a link if some of his chocolate was used in cookie making. Seriously if Nuland came to Burlington VT and bought Lake Champlain chocolate - which would make incredible chocolate chip cookies - would the local manufacturer be responsible?

[dipsydoodle]

5. This an election for their President -

not a parliamentary general election. Those elections are due 2017.

[pampango]

6. True. Parliament is already 'elected'. The president is the currently 'unelected' part of

Ukraine's government. Soon both the president and parliament will be elected.

[happyslug]

11. And expelled all Communists members of the Parliament,

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/accusations-of-separatism-get-ukraine-communists-expelled-from-parliament/499713.html

In 2012 the Communists received 13.2 % of the vote and won 32 out of 450 seats. From what I have read, the Communist have had a problem since Orange Revolution, the election rules were stacked against them. They could win over 50% of the votes, and still have less then 50% of the seats. 13.2% of 450 is 59.4, so the Communists should have had 59 seats not 32 if proportional representation was the Rule in the Ukraine.

DU complained when the Democratic Candidates for Congress received more votes then Republican Candidates for Congress in 2012, but the House of Representative is 234 GOP to 201 Democratic members.

The Democratic Party won 48.8 % of all votes cast for Members of the House of Representatives, the GOP 47.6%. By actual seat won, the GOP won 53.8% vs the Democratic 48.2% (Yes, added together the number exceeds 100%, but that is not unusual dividing 234 and then 201 by 435, it is know as a statistical math error). The reason I bring the 2012 US House Election up, is even with the massive gerrymandering done by the GOP, in what is considered otherwise a fair election, the GOP "gained" 33 seats out of 435 or 7.8% of the seats. The Communists in the Ukraine were DENIED 27 seats or 6% of the seats. Thus the Communists were denied as many seats as the Democratic party was in 2012 do to election rules set up to discriminate against them.

Thus if you believe the GOP cheated in 2012 to win the US House of Representatives, you also have to believe the Communists in the Ukraine were cheated the same way.

Now, even that much representation appears to be to much for the other parties in the Ukrainian Parliament (Rada) so they are kicking the Communists out.

US House election of 2012:'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2012

English Translation of the Ukrainian Communists Party's position on its explusion:

http://yclbritain.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/statement-of-communist-party-of-ukraine-on-explusion-from-parliament/


Now, the Party of the Regions is larger then the Communists, but is banned in much of the Western Ukraine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_of_Regions

[Jesus Malverde]

7. Are you conceding they are "illegitimate" and the result of a "coup"?..nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

8. No, hence the "quotation marks." nt

[Iterate]

12. Gunmen seize control of district election offices in Donetsk and Luhansk

Gunmen seize control of district election offices in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, steal ballots and documents
May 20, 2014, 2:51 p.m. | Ukraine — by Christopher J. Miller

An unknown number of masked gunmen on May 20 stormed nearly a dozen district election commissions in eastern Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and demanded at gunpoint that officials turn over ballots and other documents pertaining to this weekend’s presidential elections, election officials said.

The gunmen seized 11 district elections offices and are threatening to capture at least eight more, news website Ukrainska Pravda and News Channel 24 reported, citing election officials. In most cases, the gunmen confiscated election documents, including ballots, from the offices.

The building seizures and document thefts come just five days before presidential elections are to be held across Ukraine. Voters will cast their ballots for a new head of state on May 25, three months after former President Viktor Yanukovych fled the country and was deposed by parliament for being unable to carry out his duties. A warrant was later issued for the arrest of Yanukovych, who has been hiding out in Russia. He is accused of ordering the mass murder of more than 100 EuroMaidan activists during mass demonstrations in January and February.

In one incident at 11:30 a.m. on May 20, around 10 masked gunmen raided the city administration building in Artemivsk, a typically quiet city of some 80,000 people 86 kilometers north of Donetsk. They forced election officials there at gunpoint to hand over ballots, voter lists and other documents, an election official present told the Kyiv Post by phone minutes afterward.

complete: http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/gunmen-seize-control-of-district-election-offices-in-donetsk-and-luhansk-oblasts-steal-ballots-and-documents-348578.html

This is a new attack and would not be included in the OP report.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

14. Jeez a whiz.

Beacons of democracy, these people are!

[freshwest]

13. Dmytro Zarubo is right. An earlier OP said they'd go to homes to get the votes.

That was on their vote to leave Ukraine.

What a creepy thing to have strangers, armed to the teeth, come to your door to get your ballot. No way they wouldn't take note of who didn't vote with the gun men.

Zarubo is stating what armed men expect by brandishing weapons. They want unarmed people to not interfere with 'their business.' The intent to murder is under all the words used.

Rule by the gun, coming to a neighborhood near you. They call it their 1A right to expression here.
The unspoken context is 'we'll shoot you if you don't go along with us.'

After the quiet riots put on by the TP in 2010, the intimidation used to shut down other voices on healthcare, guns and everything else, we're not that far off. They've only grown more rabid since then.

Everything coming from eastern Ukraine sounds like the Bundy ranch and the Teataliban.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

15. Do you have the link for that?

Not surprising from everything I heard about that sham vote.

[freshwest]

16. It was in LBN in one of the stories about Donetsk (sic). Gotta go out, don't have time to search it.

Most likely in one of the posts by Dipsey, when those towns were taken over and they said they had a referendum. Not Crimea, eastern Ukraine.

[Iterate]

18. 13 Out of 36 Local Election Commissions in Donetsk and Lugansk Oblasts Shut Down

17:57 (GMT)
Ukrainska Pravda reports:

As of Wednesday, 13 out of 36 commissions in the Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts are shut down.

This was reported to Ukrainska Pravda by the press secretary of the Central Election Commission, Konstantin Khivrenko.

In the Donetsk oblast, one District Electoral Commission [OIK] in Artyomovsk was liberated while another, in Donetsk, was seized. In total, 7 District Election Commissions in Donetsk have been shut down.

As of 10:00 on May 21, work has resumed at OIK number 46 in Artyomovsk.

However at 9:30 on Wednesday, the premises of the 45th OIK in Donetsk were captured again and sealed off by representatives of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic.

The paper notes that the seven seized electoral commissions include 2 in Donetsk, one in Kramatorsk, two in Gorlovka, one in Enakievo, and one in Torez. The 44th OIK in Donetsk, the 55th in Shakhtersk and the 62nd in Starobeshevo, are now unlocked but remain under the threat of seizure.

Presidential Candidate's Office Torched in Dobass
02:29 (GMT)

Masked men have torched the campaign office of Sergiy Tigipko with molotov cocktails in Donetsk, just one of the incidents of violence today. Bloomberg summarizes:

Ukrainian forces fought insurgents in the country’s east, killing one rebel and losing a police station, as separatists prepared for a fall election after declaring independence and saying they want to join Russia.

Masked men set fire to a candidate’s regional campaign office before a May 25 presidential ballot as government troops and insurgents skirmished in Ukraine’s Donbass regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. The separatists, who hold buildings and radio and television towers in about 15 cities, said they’d hold a vote, possibly around Sept. 14, to elect new officials for their self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic.”

“All the current members of the government and parliament of the Donetsk People’s Republic were appointed without a vote,” Dmitry Gau, a spokesman for the separatists, said by phone. “In the fall we’ll have elections.”

An Interior Ministry regional office in Lugansk, a National Guard base near Slavyansk, and a military position in Izyum have also been attacked since Saturday night.

I've also seen reports that the proposed Sept 14th vote will be for annexation by Russia.