You're reading: Election commission: Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk to vote in parliamentary elections

Mykhaylo Okhendovsky, head of Ukraine's Central Election Commission, says it's important to provide an opportunity to vote for Ukrainian citizens living in Crimea, as well as in war-torn Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, during the Oct. 26 parliamentary election. These troubled regions are home to 20 percent of Ukraine's 45 million people.

“These elections are the first of its kind in our history,” Okhendovsky
said during an Aug. 26 news briefing. “Previous early elections happened in
2007 under a proportional system, whereas currently we have a mixed system
whereby 225 lawmakers will be elected according to the party lists and another
213 MPs – from their constituencies. Once the president signs a decree that
officially dissolves the parliament, there will be 60 days for the election
campaign.” 

Ukraine used to have 225 deputies from the constituencies, but since Crimea
and Sevastopol had as many as 12, the figure has been changed. However,
this year’s elections will not happen there due to the peculiar status of the
region outlined in the law “on the temporarily occupied territories” that came
into effect on May 14.

“Residents of Crimea will be able to vote in a different
region of Ukraine, just as 117,000 of the Crimeans did during the presidential
elections in May,” Okhendovsky explained. 

He promised to put all the election commission’s efforts in organizing the
elections in Donbas. “But we also need to ensure safety of the voters and
all the members of local commissions and observers,” Okhendovsky added. 

Although
parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are controlled by the Russia-backed insurgents, andmore than 2,000 people have been killed since mid-April in the war, the results of elections will be legitimate as long as at least one
polling station will work in every constituency. 

Price of elections 

This year’s state budget has not allocated money for the election, which is why Hr 986 million will come from a reserve fund.

“However, David Zhvania, a non-affiliated MP, proposed a
bill that can save up to Hr 140 million by cutting on expenditures on media, agitation
and other electoral documentation. If the parliament passes this bill, we can
significantly reduce the costs of elections,” emphasized Okhendovsky.

When being asked whether the separatists and rebel may participate in the
elections as candidates, Okhendovsky said: “We do not give any comments on
personalized issues. But if Ukrainian courts criminally prosecute such
individuals, they will not take part in the elections according to the
Ukrainian legislation.” 

Kyiv Post staff writer Oleg Naumenko can be reached at
[email protected].