31.10.04

10:05 AM

Press Release №1

(Gross violations are underlined)

PRESS BRIEFING TODAY AT 2 PM ON VOTING SO FAR.

As of the beginning of voting, many voters wanting to cast their votes have gathered at polling stations. There are queues near polling stations. Many people are refusing to wait and are going home. Major violations already uncovered include:

 Almost 40 stations did not open at all in the Kirovohrad Oblast.

 Election commissioners representing opposition candidates were barred from participating in the election process.

 Buses are bringing organized groups of voters to the polls

Kyiv oblast.

As of the beginning of voting, there is an inrush of voters at many polling stations. Often, there are crowds. For example, at polling station # 36 (constituency #91), where 1,600 voters are supposed to cast their votes in the small premise, people willing to vote are let in two by two and then are taken out through the back door.

Illegal expulsion of commissioners

Dnipropetrovsk oblast.

TEC # 27 (Dnipropetrovsk). On October 29, about 70 representatives from opposition candidates — Yushchenko, Symonenko, Moroz, Hrabar, Chernovetskyi, Brodskyi — were expelled from the polling station commissions. The Court of Appeal of Dnipropetrovsk oblast cancelled this decision of the TEC on October 30. The ruling of the Court of Appeals was given to the TEC on October 30. Now, representatives of opposition candidates are demanding execution of the court`s decision at the meeting of territorial election commission # 27 . Representatives of Dnipropetrovsk oblast state administration, being present at the meeting of TEC # 27, claim that expelled members would be reinstated in their offices tomorrow.

Kirovohrad oblast.

As of 8.00 AM, 38 polling stations were not opened in constituency # 100 (Kirovohrad) because the Territorial Election Commission had earlier expelled some members of the polling station commission and can not determine its composition. MP V.Yavorivskyi is present at the meeting of the TEC. A proposal to take Yushchenko`s observers out of the meeting was voted on twice.

A conflict situation occurred within the TEC on October 30 evening because of the expulsion of 120 polling station commissioners.

Keeping observers out of polling stations

City of Kyiv

At 8.10 AM, observers were prevented from entering polling station #108 (constituency #44)

Donetsk oblast.

Militia officers prevented a CVU observer from entering polling station #45 (constituency # №44), saying that his accreditation as a journalist "means nothing".

Readiness of polling stations to voting

Dnipropetrovsk oblast

Constituency # 30. According to representatives of the Dnipropetrovsk branch of the CVU, as of 8.00 AM on October 31, more than 40% of empty ballot boxes in Kryvyi Rig fail to comply with established standards: they fall apart and commissioners have to fix them with the Scotch type. At some polling stations there is a shortage of polling boxes; they are being delivered during the first hour of voting.

Ivano-Frankivsk oblast.

At 7:55 AM at polling station # 51 (constituency # 85, Ivano-Frankivsk city), power was cut off; voting did not start at 8:00 AM. Power supply was renewed at 8:45 AM.

Kirovohrad oblast.

Polling station commission # 68 (constituency # 100) in school # 32. Voters cannot vote in polling booths because of poor lighting. They are examining ballots outside the booths.

Infringements related to ballots

Luhansk oblast

Constituency # 113. Territorial election commission of constituency # 113 delivered 50 ballots to polling station # 41 which did not indicate the polling station`s number. Now, people are voting at this polling station with these ballots. Halyna Teslenko, authorized representative of presidential candidate Mykola Hrabar, has filed a complaint with territorial election commission # 113 against infringements of paragraph 3 of Article 71 and paragraph 7 pf Article 73 of the Law of Ukraine “On Election of the President of Ukraine”.

Volyn oblast.

Polling station # 158 of Horokhiv constituency # 20 (Khorokhoryn village, Lutsk rayon). The polling station commission received a phone call informing them that observers representing presidential candidate Ihor Dushyn were withdrawing from the said polling station. They made the false conclusion that Ihor Dushyn had recalled his candidacy and struck him off the ballots. Members of the polling station commission appealed to the relevant TEC requesting additional clean ballots.

Interference in the voting process by unauthorized persons

Zaporizhzha oblast

Constituency # 82, polling station #6. Observers informed that Mr. Yephymenko, Melitopol town mayor, visited the polling station at 9:15 AM and instructed the head of the PSC on "improving" of the commission`s operations.

Absentee voting

City of Kyiv.

Constituency # 223, polling station # 65. Commissioners demand that absentee voters present copies of their passport to be entered into the list of voters.

Voting of organized groups of voters

Donetsk oblast.

Three buses with voters are getting ready to depart from the Refrigerator Plant Nord. They will go to polling stations in the Petrovskyi rayon.

City of Donetsk

Students who have cast their votes are given following certificates to be presented to their curators: "Thank you for execution of your civic duty — participation in the election of the President of Ukraine in 2004".

Volyn oblast

An organized group of militiamen from Sokyrychi village (Kivertsivskyi rayon) came to polling station # 16 (Lutsk) for voting.

Agitation at polling stations

Zaporizhzha oblast.

Constituency # 78, polling station # 40. Posters bearing symbols of presidential candidate V.Yanukovych are present on the premises of the polling station.

Dear journalists!

At 2.00 PM on October 31, CVU leaders will hold a briefing "On the Course of Voting and First Infringements Revealed" in the premises of UNIAN news agency (4 Khreshchatyk St.).

At 10.00 AM on November 1, CVU will hold a the press conference "On Assessment of the Voting and Vote Tabulation Procedures by CVU Observers. Parallel Vote Tabulation Results" in the premises of UNIAN news agency (4 Khreshchatyk St.).

For additional details please contact the Press Secretary of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine Oleksandr Chernenko (+38-050-310-99-75).