Voters tired of ineffective politicians wasting public money and getting little done can consider running as candidates themselves.
Voters tired of ineffective politicians wasting public money and getting little done can do something a little different for the Oct. 31 election – considering running as candidates themselves.
The recently changed election law is criticized as undemocratic for stipulating that eligible candidates have to be backed by political parties that have been registered for at least a year.
But there are almost 200 registered parties in Ukraine, most little known and most with no electoral success.
Nonetheless, given the law change, independent-minded candidates for local offices could find a home in one of these parties from which to launch a political career.
“If you are a person who is fairly known in your town as a good professional or active citizen, you might interest a party looking to exploit people’s tiredness of same faces and long for ‘fresh blood,”” said political strategist Pavlo Ustymenko.
Kyiv-based lawyer and human rights activist Hlib Leshkov is running for Obolon district council in Kyiv for the first time.
He hasn’t found a party to back his candidacy yet, but he is optimistic about his chances of finding one and winning an election.
“I don’t have money to launch a public relations campaign. But I am sure if people in your electoral district know you and you have Hr 10,000-20,000 for printing leaflets and other organizational expenses, you have a good chance,” Leshkov says.
“If you are a person who is fairly known in your town as a good professional or active citizen, you might interest a party looking to exploit people’s tiredness of same faces and long for ‘fresh blood,”” said political strategist Pavlo Ustymenko.
But experts warn that unknown, poorly financed independent candidates – even if they find backing from a minor political party — will struggle to compete against wealthy, powerful party machines when campaigning begins on Sept. 1.
“No matter how good you are, all major parties have their candidates with ambitions and money. And money buys votes in Ukraine,” said Kost Bondarenko, deputy head of the Strong Ukraine party and a former political adviser on local election campaigns.
Anyone standing against the big hitters will need some training.
A Kyiv-based lecture club, Kruhozir, is offering tips that give basic information and expert advice on how to manage a campaign and attract voters for candidates with low budgets.
Yuriy Lukanov, a lecturer at Kruhozir and manager of several campaigns in Kyiv Oblast, says it’s important to figure out which aspects of your biography are attractive to voters.
“If you are an entrepreneur, it is unlikely people will believe you can handle, say, health-care problems, but they will believe you will help open more opportunities for business. Focus on attracting business people and professionals for whom creating opportunities is important,” he suggested.
And don’t just stick to your profession.
If you have children, you have common ground with every parent in your voting district and can attract them by focusing on solving problems that concern every parent – children’s leisure time, playgrounds, kindergartens and schools.
It’s also crucial to find out who the voters are in your electoral district – their age, marital status, job and income – in order to make your pitch to the right people. “If you are dealing with many pensioners then during meetings with voters you should speak about what concerns them – social security, health care, providing housing help from charity organizations or volunteers,” Lukanov said.
Obolon district council candidate Leshkov says bribing voters and spending heavily on promotion in the media and on billboards – all features of national campaigns – do not work at the local level. “It’s best to meet as many people as possible, going from door to door and organizing volunteering events. Also it is good to run in the electoral district where you live or work, as more people know you,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and leader of Sylna Ukraina party Serhiy Tigipko was first to launch his campaign.
Showing commitment to solving problems and a willingness to work rather than just making promises could boost your support, says political strategist Ustymenko. If there is a polluted park in you electoral district, you could hang announcements with photos of it and set date and time for volunteers to clean it up. “Most people in small towns will be swept away with such simple, yet open and honest actions,” Ustymenko said.
“If you are an entrepreneur, it is unlikely people will believe you can handle, say, health-care problems, but they will believe you will help open more opportunities for business. Focus on attracting business people and professionals for whom creating opportunities is important,” says Yuriy Lukanov.
The Internet is another key tool that is becoming increasingly effective. “In the U.S., extensive use of the Internet during elections started at a local level with candidates for governor starting to blog and collect donations online. Later the technique was adapted at national level,” said PR expert Oleksandr Shcherbakov. Social networks like vkontakte allow you to find people who live in your area and add them as friends.
There is one further tactic available for the more cunning candidate – fake black PR.
“Print out some leaflets which denounce you in the most outrageous way. If you are female, spread leaflets with something like, ‘Women are unable to run the community.’ This provocation will add votes, especially among other females,” Ustymenko said.
Without party backing, of course, you won’t be on the ticket at all.
And if you are entirely unscrupulous and think you need to ride on the skirt tails of a popular party in order to get elected, campaign managers say slots on party lists are up for sale by some parties, with prices ranging from $500,000 for Kyiv city council to $25,000 for Kyiv district council and city councils in large cities such as Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk.
“In most of the cases, it’s party managers selling places, and higher party officials are not even aware of it,” says Ustymenko. “And most parties do not want to support people who have no ideas, reputation or charisma, so I always advise to not rely on money.”
Kyiv Post staff writer Svitlana Tuchynska can be reached at [email protected].
