The Svoboda All-Ukrainian Association has a stronger representation in Ivano-Frankivsk regional council following the local election on October 31, 2010, and its party list scored 24.7%, according to an exit poll conducted by GfK Ukraine.
According to the exit poll findings announced on Sunday evening, the Batkivschyna Party scored 15.1% on its party list, the Front for Change 14%, Our Ukraine 8.6%, the Regions Party 5.9%, the Ukrainian People’s Party 4%, the Popular Rukh of Ukraine 2.9%, and the United Center 0.4%.
The local election was held under a new electoral law, which was adopted not long before the start of the election campaign. One distinctive feature of the election is that it was conducted for the first time under a mixed proportional-majority system, with one half of the local council deputies to being elected on party lists, and the other half elected in single-member constituencies, although only local party organizations may nominate candidates for these constituencies.
The mixed system foresees the election of deputies to the Crimean Supreme Council, as well as regional, district and city councils. At the same time, the deputies of village councils are elected under the majority system. Candidates for city mayors can be nominated only by the local branches of parties, whereas candidates for the heads of villages can be nominated by parties or nominate themselves.
