Friday 7 November 2014

Ukrainian update - 11/07/2014

Putin Holds Talks With Security Chiefs Over 'Deterioration' in Eastern Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held talks with top security chiefs over a "deterioration of the situation" in eastern Ukraine after pro-Russian rebels there accused Kiev of launching a new offensive in violation of a cease-fire

Mikhail Klimentyev / ReutersPresident Vladimir Putin (R-L) speaks with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin and Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev during a meeting of the Security Council at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Nov. 6, 2014.
7 November, 2014

Sporadic violence has flared since the Sept. 5 truce in a conflict that has cost more than 4,000 lives; but the cease-fire has looked particularly fragile this week with separatists and the central government accusing each other of violations.

Andrei Purgin, deputy prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said Thursday that the Ukrainian army had launched "all-out war" on rebel positions, news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Ukrainian military spokesman Vladyslav Seleznyov denied this, saying the army remained in agreed positions.

"We refute these allegations … we're strictly fulfilling the Minsk memorandum [on a cease-fire]," he said by telephone.

A Kremlin statement said the presidential Security Council, which groups key security and defense officials under Putin's chairmanship, discussed among other things a "deterioration of the situation in the Donbass due to repeated violations of the cease-fire by the armed forces of Ukraine."

It did not say what decisions, if any, had been reached over the conflict that broke out in the industrialized east after the overthrow of Ukraine's Moscow-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych in February and Russia's subsequent annexation of Crimea.

A witness in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk said there was no sign the conflict was escalating.

Representatives of the separatist regions earlier put out a joint statement calling for a redrafting of the Minsk deal, which established a cease-fire in exchange for Kiev granting "special status" to eastern territories.

Rebels say Ukraine has violated the deal by seeking to revoke a law that would have granted eastern regions autonomy. Kiev says this was a consequence of Sunday's separatist leadership elections, which it says go against the agreement.

The Ukrainian military said three soldiers had been killed Thursday, reporting a total of 26 separate artillery clashes with separatists.


Ukraine did not finish counting the votes due to Right Sector blocking access in 59th precinct











7 November, 2014

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The Central Election Commission could not calculate the results of parliamentary elections by party lists. The reason is the lack of data from the electoral district in Donetsk region, where the work of the election Commission "is blocked by armed men."

CEC was not able to obtain data from the last district No. 59 in Marinka, Donetsk region [the part of Donetsk Region still under the control of Kiev]. Here, the commission could not enter data protocols into the information-analytical system 'Elections' on voting results from about 20 precincts.

"This is the last district in which the election results are not fully entered in the system "Elections". The problem is that around the district election commission (DEC) there is now real fighting," - said a member of the CEC Alexander Shelestov, supervising the work of the commission in Donetsk region. He explained that the location of the DEC, in the village of Velikaya Novoselka, is surrounded by armed men, who in every way hinder the work of the Commission.

"They do not allow commission members and technical workers into the office. I have already addressed the Security Service and the Prosecutor's Office. The CEC does not have its own special forces to unblock the commission and allow it to continue working,"  - said Shelestov.

According to a political analyst and head of the Donetsk Regional Association "Committee of voters of Ukraine" Sergey Tkachenko, the situation in the district resulted from the struggle between the candidates - mayor of Kurakhovo Sergei Sazhko, and Chief of Staff of the volunteer battalion "Dnepr-1", Valentin Manko.
"According to preliminary data Sazhko won. However, he was accused of sympathizing with the separatists. A violent confrontation between police and 'volunteers' occurred, who blocked the DEC," - said Tkachenko. 

According to him, candidates tried to establish control over the commission before the election day, as evidenced by repeated replacement of members of the DEC. During the counting of votes CEC terminated nine members of the DEC, but the court had restored them. Now the CEC tries to appeal this decision to the Supreme Administrative Curt

Tkachenko says: "Actually, this is a conflict between financial and industrial groups, Rinat Akhmetov and Igor Kolomoisky, who are fighting to give their candidates a parliamentary mandate. According to the expert, Sazhko represents 'team Akhmetov', who owns the local power station, where the mayor of Kurakhovo worked previously as head of production. Manko represents the sphere of influence of the head of Dnepropetrovsk Regional Administration, Igor Kolomoisky, because of his association with the battalion Dnepr-1". 

"In the battalion the situation is presented as a war with the old regime, which, according to them, is represented by Manko's opponent. And representatives of Sazhko say that Manko wants to take his victory by force. But it is clear that the fight for the next MP is between Kolomoisky and Akhmetov", - said the analyst.

Meanwhile the commander of  Dnepr-1, Yuri Bereza, told reporters that "The battalion is not involved. Apparently, the activists of the Right Sector are blocking the DEC". 

It is noted that according to the preliminary data, Sazhko is ahead of his opponent by about 1,900 votes. 

Coordinator of the electoral programs of the civil network OPORA Olga Aivazovskaja sees the risk that the DEC will not be able to organize the work in the 59th district. "The results of the election in this constituency potentially may not be established", - she said. 

The law allows the CEC to take upon itself the functions of the local commission and to declare the voting results based on all election documents from the district, said the expert. In particular, in the parliamentary elections in 2012, the CEC was unable to establish the results in a number of districts, so there was a precedent. 
However, the position of the CEC is that the commission has sufficient time to observe entitled under the law procedure in 59th constituency. The deadline for the official announcement of the results of parliamentary elections expires November 10. The CEC in the near future is awaiting the court's decision, which will change the composition of DEC No. 59 and, finally, to count the votes.

"Interestingly, at this very moment, when in Dnepropetrovsk our 'Deo-Lanos' was burning, a column of 4 BTRs and half a dozen armored vehicles of a special unit of the Interior Ministry 'Gepard' entered Velikaya Novoselka. I hope these events are not related in any way," - wrote Andrey Denisenko on Facebook.
Andrey Denisenko ran as a single mandate candidate from 'Petro Poroshenko Block'. Recently he won the election in district 26 and became a Deputy of the Verkhovnaja Rada.

Meanwhile:

"The Central Election Commission is unable to complete the counting of votes without the help of law enforcement," - said its Chairman, Mikhail Okhendovsky at a meeting with the President Petro Poroshenko... He expressed the hope that through the efforts of the Interior Ministry and the Security Service of Ukraine in the near future, the Commission will be able to operate without external pressure... 

The meeting was attended by Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Turchynov, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the CEC Chairman Mykhailo Okhendovsky, the Attorney General Vitaly Yarema, Minister of internal Affairs Arsen Avakov and Chairman of the Security Service Valentyn Nalyvaychenko.
The following map shows the boundaries of Kolomoisky influence (in yellow), where the data was different from the rest of South-East Ukraine in 2014, for the first time in decades.


Turnout = 53% total

Как считают голоса в ОИК №59 (Марьинка, Кратово)

What an election in Ukraine looks like




The car of the head of Dnepropetrovsk Right Sector and new Ukrainian PM exploded


7 November, 2014

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A car of the head of Dnepropetrovsk branch of the 'Right Sector' Andrey Denisenko blew up today in Dnepropetrovsk. No injuries were reported.

"I arrived this morning to my mother's in this car. Half an hour later there was an explosion", - said Denisenko. "Thank God no one was hurt, but actually the boys were preparing, as well as yesterday, to go to the 59th election district in support of Valentine Manica and against the pushing into the people's deputies of 'Party of Regions' separatist Goloven."


"Interestingly, at this very moment, when in Dnepropetrovsk our 'Deo-Lanos' was burning, a column of 4 BTRs and half a dozen armored vehicles of a special unit of the Interior Ministry 'Gepard' entered Velikaya Novoselka. I hope these events are not related in any way," - wrote Andrey Denisenko on Facebook.

Andrey Denisenko ran as a single mandate candidate from 'Petro Poroshenko Block'. Recently he won the election in district 26 and became a Deputy of the Verkhovnaja Rada.


Dnepropetrovsk Right Sector office is located in the administration building of the Kiev-appointed governor of Dnepropetrovsk region, Igor Kolomoisky. 


Today is the 97h anniversary of the Russian October Revolution
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