Ukraine Today - An Independent Political Review

Analysis of the final vote indicates that Ukraine includes the number of informal ballots when calculating the 3% threshold requirement. If you consider only formal votes then then percentage allocated to parties/blocks goes up and a new player would enter into the parliamentary arena. Natalia Vitrenko having just fallen should of the 3% quota should challenge the results and call fro a recount. In the interest of fair play and correctness Ukraine a request for a recount should be granted. In the first interest all votes cast for Natalia Vitrenko should be re-examined along with the informal vote and those allocated to parties above and below her position on the ballot paper to determine if there was any mistake in the allocation of votes. If errors are found then this may indicate if their is a need for a more though examination of other ballots.

CEC publishes 100% of preliminary election's poll - 2006 Central Election Committee has finished processing protocols and announced preliminary results of the parliamentary election in Ukraine. $B-b(B   Party (bloc) % for 1   Party of Regions 32,12 2   BYuT 22,27 3   Our Ukraine 13.94 4   Socialist party 5,67 5   Communist party 3,66 6   Natalia Vitrenko's bloc 2,93 7   Lytvyn's bloc 2,43 8   Ukrainian bloc of Kostenko and Plushch 1,87 9   Viche party 1,74 10   Pora-PRP 1,47 11   Opposition bloc "Ne TAK!" 1,01 12 Others (less then 3%) 24,83       Informal 1,93% (489,797 votes)

As the results of the election are being finalized negotiations and political gamesmanship is under way to decide who will govern Ukraine with speculation rife as to who will do a deal with who and what is at stake for each of the five parties that have won parliamentary seats as they formulate bids. Behind all the negotiations is the theoretical Trump Card held by the President. Parliament must meet within two weeks of the official declaration of the election results. Under Ukraine's constitution the President has the power to sack the newly elected government if a coalition representing a majority of the Parliament can not be formed within one month of the Parliament meeting. Whilst we would consider it unlikely and unwise for the President to use his trump card it never the less is in the back of the mind of all players as negotiations evolve. If the President plays his constitutional hand then Ukraine would be thrown into political and economic uncertainly. At risk is a politic...

Offical results as of 1PM today.  Still missing is 4% from the percentage tally. It could be that they count informal votes in determining the tally.  Informal votes is recorded at 1.77 percent which is low by normal standards, buit that still leaves 2.23% unaccounted for. This is anything is a problem with the publiushed computerized information which is not complete in its format.   CEC WEB LINK     Results as of 30.03.2006   13:00:00    CEC % Vote Formal % 1 Party of Regions   32,10 8097982 33,34% 2 Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko 22,26 5617498 23,13% 3 Bloc 'Our Ukraine' 13,96 3524052 14,51% 4 Socialist Party of Ukraine 5,68 1435149 5,91% 5 Communist Party of Ukraine 3,66 924023 3,80% 6 People's Opposition Bloc of Natalia Vitrenko 2,91 736443 3,03% 7 Bloc of Lytvyn 2,43 615357 2,53% 8 Ukrainian National Bloc of Kostenko and Pliushch 1,87 474099 1,95% 9 Party 'Viche' 1,74...

There is some confusion as to if the initial 3% threshold in the seat allocation is included.  I previously included the 3% on my calculations but when I read the article on Wikipdeia I was understood that the 3% was excluded in the calculation.  It does make some sense to discount this percentage ( I personally do not support thresholds but that is another issue).   In the absence of a clear indication as to the rules that apply I have published both methods.   I again wish to express concern that 22% of voters who supported minor parties have been disenfranchised. Had a system of preferential voting been adopted these voters would have had their vote allocated according to their expressed preference. Under the current system major Party votes are inflated dis-proportionately to the voters choice and intention.   This is an issue that Ukraine should seriously review and consideration should be given to adopting a system of preferential voting....