Ukraine Today - An Independent Political Review

Ukraine needs to look beyond the USA for its guidence in electoral reform. Instant Run-off Preferential voting means voters have a real choice. One ballot less costs 100's of Millions of dollars of public funding saved. Democracy as simple as 1,2,3,4

It is minor parties that will determine the outcome of the poll and who will form government if the new parliament is able to function. Without the success of minor parties, vsuch as Lytyn, Communist Patry of Ukraine and the Socialists Party of Ukraine all who are supportive of the government then Party of Regions chances of retaining office are limited to legal challenges. Given the extent of interference in the legal process by Ukraine's president "democratic rule of law" in Ukraine has been pushed aside, with suggestions that the Ukraine's President will once again sooner after the poll act to prevent the courts from considering any challenge. Ukraine's voting system and the 3% threshold barrier could see Yulia Tymoshchenko (25%), win by default, with support from Our Ukraine (12%) out-poll Party of Regions (33-34%) Public opinion polling prior to the election had shown Lytvyn,. Former Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament under President Kuchma hold the balance

Ukraine is preparing to go to the polls for the fourth time in three years. Independence Square is adorned with multi-coloured flags once again. Will the early election mark a fresh start for the country or is it just another opportunity for yet another political battle? In this documentary you have got a chance to get ready for the election along with the Ukrainians. Watch this story

"Whatever happens on 30 September will not resolve the ongoing struggle for power between the Party of Regions and Yushchenko. A "grand coalition" between these two antagonists looks likely to be short-lived and the same goes for a Tymoshenko government. One result looks certain: people will soon start talking about yet another election." Source: TOL by Ivan Lozowy 26 September 2007 Ukraine's political problems run deeper than another set of elections can possibly fix. Also see: ELECTORAL TIMELINE KYIV, Ukraine Ukraine is in the final stretch of yet another election campaign notable for the lack of substantive debate on political challenges and marred by the deep-seated personal animosities that have dominated Ukrainian politics since the Orange Revolution three years ago. The 30 September vote is being presented to the public as the solution to the ongoing political crisis brought about by feuding between President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor

Our Ukraine recently advocated electoral reform and the adoption of a single member majority voting system similar to the outdated voting systems used in Britain, Canada and the USA Whilst the creation of smaller local electorates is worthy of consideration the proposed "Majority voting" system is undemocratic and should be rejected outright. It is a system designed when voters could not read or write a system that is outdated. Preliminary analysis of the 2006 Parliamentary electoral districts results indicates that up to 53% of the electorate will be disenfranchised under the Majority voting system - denied the right of direct representation. In a false and misleading attempt to make the system appear to be more democratic Our Ukraine have in haste proposed a two round voting system so that if no one single candidate has 50% or more votes a second round ballot would be undertaken. Analysis has shown that only 28% of electorates would be decided on the first round and the re

The Party of Regions (PRU) announces about its intention to withdraw from the early election campaign in the event if its opponents do not stop their provocations. “If our opponents’ cynical provocations entertained to prepare massive polling fraud should not stop, PRU is ready to put its participation in the elections under doubt,” is stated in the party’s message. “We do not want to be involved in the 2007 election venture predetermined by Bankova Street and then justified in a biased court,” PRU adds. It is also said in the message that ‘the central PRU campaign headquarters keeps on receiving alarming reports on provocations prepared against the party’. PRU members are convinced that their political opponents ‘aware of their future demise at the early elections are seeking ways to deprive PRU of a part of its success’. “One of these ways is to bloc the work of local election commission by their members from opposition,” claim PRU members. It is underlined that these maneuvers are o

In one weeks time Ukraine will go to the polls. Public opinion polls are showing that Ukraine remains bitterly divided as it was back in 2004. Next weeks election will only further divide Ukraine and add to the loss of confidence in the political process The results of the election are unknown but what is known is that only the victor will support the outcome and who ever is the loser will reject it. If Yulia Tymoshenko loses the election she will once again claim that the results of the ballot was fraudulent. If she wins her opposition will claim likewise. Earlier in the week the Government had cause to seriously question the conduct of the election, the role played by Ukraine's President and the ongoing question and doubt of the legality of the president's actions. The ngovernment has made allegations levelled at the president's secretariat of not respecting the oath of office and becoming embroiled in the political campaign. Imagine a situation where the Queen of England

KYIV, Ukraine, September 20 / PRNewswire / -- While the early parliamentary elections in Ukraine are just about to enter the finishing straight, the favourites in the race were already determined some time ago. All polls reveal that the Party of Regions - the party delivering the foundation of today's ruling coalition - is clearly ahead. Recent studies indicate that the Party of Regions is on course to repeat last year's success and is likely to even outperform it by winning about 33 to 35% of the votes. The Bloc Yulia Timoshenko (BYT) is lagging more than 10% behind, and the pro-presidential political group "Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense" (OU - PSD), which is headed by the former minister of the interior Yuri Lutsenko, is heading for a safe third place. Most analysts are unanimous that the fourth party to enter parliament will be the Communist Party, which is predicted to receive 3 to 5% of votes. The remaining participants (among them the bloc of former ch

Seven parties to be represented in new Ukrainian parliament according to All-Ukrainian Sociological poll published September 10, 2007 Source: UkraNews . Party % vote % seats seats PoR 26.6% 31.3% 141 BYuT 19.7% 23.2% 104 OU-PSD 18.2% 21.4% 96 CPU 7.3% 8.6% 39 SPU 3.9% 4.6% 21 PSPU 3.2% 3.8% 17 LPB 6.0% 7.1% 32       sum 84.9% 100.0% 450 The poll represents a percentage breakdown of all votes (Full participation rate 100%) was taken between August 31 and September 7, 2007 No of respondents 2482. Magin for error 2%

Luciano Pavarotti October-12, 1935 to September 6, 2007 The editors of this site morn the passing of one of the world greatest opera singers. May his voice continue to echo out in sprite and though his recording made over time. God bless his family and friends Pavarotti and Bono Pavarotti (Solo) SMS my thoughts are with you this day as always.

Democracies are based on the rule of law and in the absence of a definitive determination by Ukraine's Constitutional Court, the actions of Ukraine's president will continue to divide Ukraine. Whilst the Council or Europe understandably has called on Ukraine to resolve the current crisis internally it has seriously erred by not insisting that the Constitutional Court rule on the legality of the president's decrees. It set a dangerous precedence which implies that any government or head of state can ignore the necessity or compliance with international and constitutional law - effectively endorsing a lawless state. More

Ukraine's Parliament today (September 4) convened its Autumn session according to the requirements in Ukraine's constitution (Article 83). The session was attended by 269 members of parliament. The Autumn Session of Parliament was held under controversy in the midst of a constitutional crisis and power struggle between the President and Ukraine's democratically elected parliament An agreement was struck in late May between the The President, the Prime Minster and the Speaker of the Parliament that early parliamentary election could be held subject to the determination of the president complying with Ukraine's' Constitution. Under Ukraine's Constitution (Article 90)The President of Ukraine may terminate the authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine prior to the expiration of term, if: .., (s3) the Parliament fails, within thirty days of a single regular session, to commence its plenary meetings. In July members of the opposition resigned their parliamentary posi

Tomorrow is shaping up to be the next point of contention in the current political crisis and power struggle between Ukraine's President and Ukraine's parliamentary representatives. September 4 is the date scheduled for the holding of the next regular plenary session of Ukraine's Parliament. The Speaker of the parliament, Olexandr Moroz, correctly maintains that the president has no Constitutional authority to dismiss the democratically elected parliament and according to the Constitution of Ukraine ( Article 83 ) the Parliament must convene its regular plenary sessions on the first Tuesday of February and September of each year Reports in the media indicate that all parties will be represented in tomorrows Parliamentary session If the parliament is unable to convene its regular session then according to Article 90 of Ukraine constitution the president in 30 days time has the power to terminate the authority of the parliament and call early elections. If 300 or members of p

Registered party Lists (in Ballot paper order) Ballot Order Party (English) Party (Ukrainian) List # 1 Communist Party of Ukraine (renewed) Комуністична партія України (оновлена) 41 2 Party of National Economic Development of Ukraine Партія національно-економічного розвитку України 136 3 Ukrainian People's Bloc "Український Народний Блок" 213   **Political party "Ukraine Cathedral"         **All-Ukrainian Chornobyl People's Party "For the welfare and protection of people"     4 Party of Regions Партія регіонів 450 5 Party of Free Democrats Партія Вільних Демократів 85 6 Socialist Party of Ukraine Соціалістична партія України 282 7 *Lytvyn's Bloc "