Mykola Tomenko: Exerting Pressure on the Local Election Campaign, the Local Authorities will breed Public Contempt and Hatred
Asked about the election fraud, Mykola Tomenko declared, "There will be no democratic elections on October 31, undoubtedly". However, he is convinced that despite the involvement of lobbying power and obstacles in the registration of the oppositional political powers, the main factor to prove the election fraud would be a possibility to protect the election returns.
"Furthermore, a lot will depend on the Central Election Commission during the last week, as a number of local officials chose the simplest way, preparing to falsify the elections: to dismiss the heads of the territorial election commissions", the Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine claimed. As an example, M. Tomenko reminded of the local authorities´ attempt to dismiss M. Kudriavtsev, head of the territorial election commission in Cherkasy city.
The Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine informed that the most popular candidates, non-members of the Party of Regions, running for mayors were denied registration in several regions. Similar situation happened to the candidates in majority constituencies.
The Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine also stated that his visits to regions showed that "to put it mildly, the local authorities have overdone with the use of administrative resources and pressure." According to him, unacceptable actions of the local authorities, in particular, concerning propaganda of ‘their native party of regions´, have gone beyond the limits. "While planning such actions, authorities should be aware of the fact that if they continue disregarding and despising people, they will receive strong abhorrence in the result. It would be more difficult to persuade the citizens, than to persuade the opposition", M. Tomenko emphasised.