Rada passes law to equip polling stations with CCTV cameras at parliamentary elections

A total of 259 lawmakers supported on July 5 the law on ensuring the openness, transparency and democracy of the parliamentary elections on October 28 2012.

According to the law, the voting process will be broadcast via the Web cameras online at the corresponding Web site. During the period after the finishing of voting and until the signing of the protocol by the election committee, the video surveillance system will function in the regime of video recording.

The video surveillance materials will be saved for the next year and could be obtained at the request of the Central Election Commission. When the elections finish and the results are announced, video surveillance systems will be transferred to local government agencies, the document reads.

As reported, the law was drawn up by MP Vladyslav Zabarsky (Regions Party faction).

Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Internet Association Tetiana Popova told Interfax-Ukraine that with the necessary financing, the installation of such video surveillance systems was not a problem in practical terms, but that it was unlikely to be effective. "I don't believe that Web cameras could really prevent falsification. The lobbying of the interest of a particular producer company is behind any such project," the expert said.

Popova also added that while setting up Web cameras the issue of the maintenance of voting secrecy could arise.

Other representatives of the branch polled by the agency noted that at least four months are left to the elections, and only a skillful integrator could create such a system in such a short term - one that has already worked in this sphere and probably held corresponding consultations with those who decided to conduct video surveillance of the elections.