KRASNOARMIYSK, Ukraine – A local court in Donetsk Oblast's Krasnoarmiysk, just 30 miles west of Russian-controlled Donetsk, ruled that local election authorities have illegally printed ballets. The court ordered polling stations closed in the city of 65,000 people.
The local election commission printed the ballots at a private printing press without supervision. That’s a violation of Ukraine’s election laws, the Krasnoarmiysk court ruled.
However, the Central Election Commission of Ukraine on Oct. 25 ordered the Krasnoarmiysk election commission to hand over the ballots to precinct election commissions immediately and to hold the elections, according to Interfax-Ukraine. However, despite the CEC ruling no election is expected to take place on Oct. 25.
Ilona Gushchenko, a 21-year-old student, is one of the city’s few young people. She is hoping to see changes in the small industrial town, known for its mines and steel plants as the familiar industrial smoke soars on the horizon.
Gushchenko planned was to vote in the morning, and then go to the bank she works. But, this plan was ruined.
“I woke up, hoping to vote. It’s the only way nowadays to express myself. I went to the school of my younger brother that was supposed to be a polling station, only to find out that the station was closed. And I wasn’t alone. Many others were surprised!” Gushchenko said. “It’s unacceptable that we cannot vote.”
The Krasnoarmiysk election commission said in a statement that it would come with a formal decision by 10 p.m. to declare the local election as not held.
At 10 p.m. all other polling stations throughout the country will also close.
In a statement the local election authorities said that it was forced by a 9-8 majority of its members to discontinue the elections “We regret to inform the residents of Krasnoarmiysk that we’ve been forced to not hold elections today,” the statement said.
A spokesman of the local election commission in Krasnoarmiysk, Igor Kuvrilenko, spoke briefly to the Kyiv Post by phone. He insisted that the decision was not made by “provocateurs,” as some have already called it. “As an independent commission we can’t ignore a judge’s verdict. Ignoring a verdict would be a provocation for the law,” Kuvrilenko said.
According to Kuvrilenko, a decision for the “benefit of all” will be made after 10 p.m.
President Petro Poroshenko urged in a statement that elections be held in Krasnoarmeysk before 2016, as well as in Mariupol where polling stations also remain closed.
“I appeal to the parliament and the Central Election Commission to respond immediately to this. I will urge the parliament to adopt changes to the legislation that elections will still be held this year,” he said during a briefing. Poroshenko also concluded that Ukraine should “demonstrate to the world that it is a civilized country where democratic norms are respected.”
The Kyiv Post has also observed several Organizatin for Security and Cooperation in Europe monitors in Krasnoarmiysk who are currently observing Ukraine’s local elections. “Local elections must be the backbone of Ukraine’s future,” said one observer not authorized to speak publicly.
