Mariupol did not surrender to Akhmetov. What was behind the election failure in the frontline city? Part 3

October 26, 2015

Mariupol did not surrender to Akhmetov. What is behind the election failure in the frontline city? Part 1

Mariupol did not surrender to Akhmetov. What is behind the election failure in the frontline city? Part 2

Battle for Future

What was the city waiting for? The question was being reiterated at the night before the election. Manipulation with ballots caused talks about the global monopoly of “Metinvest” in Mariupol.

“They want to construct the second Donetsk here. If Boychenko wins and the majority in the city council is from the “Opposition Block”, investors won't come here; there won't be any business not controlled by them”, Petro Andrushchenko was resenting in the printing house.

One more reason why “Metinvest” wants to control the city administration. It is tax deductions which those who have the power can control.

The major part of Akhmetov's assets are on the occupied territory. It was important for him to restore the single “blood circulatory” system — mines, plants, the port.

“The secret plan to integrate the temporarily occupied territories is sure to exist”, said Mariya Podybaylo, teacher of Mariupol University and “New Mariupol” coordinator.
She did not have any doubts that the “Opposition Block” had some agreement with the President's party; and the situation with the Central Election Commission and with the ballot printing were the

“Opposition Block” attempts to be on the safe side if anything went wrong.
After midnight the members of the election commission who were on the premises of the printing house were being pressed.



 Perto Andryushchenko, a member of “Syla Lyudey” Party

Head of the commission Yurina started threatening with criminal prosecution.

At about 2 in the morning, when the scandal was gathering momentum, BPP published a statement in which accused the “Opposition Block” of disrupting the election. This way the President's Party, sensitive to public opinion, hurried to benefit from the situation around the election in Mariupol.

“We wanted to “hold the fort” till 8 in the morning when polling stations open”, as members of the commission who were not controlled by “Metinvest” said. They were afraid that the printing house would be seized by force and the ballots would be distributed among the polling stations.
In the morning polling stations opened, but the ballots were still in the printing house.

However, Okhendovskiy, head of the Central Election Commission, managed to claim that the election in Mariupol could be held. That was why the territorial commission members, who found corrupted ballots, stayed in the printing house till 20:00 — in order not to allow any manipulations to take place.
Regional governor Pavlo Zhebrivskiy supported the members of the territorial election commission and claimed that Mariupol residents demonstrated their democratic maturity.

Boychenko's headquarters claimed that democratic forces were to blame for the failure of the election and asked law enforcers to find a solution.

Olena Kalaytan, editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Illyichovets” controlled by “Metinvest” too, published “exit poll” results based on the survey of 835 people who came to polling stations. According to “her data”, 83.5% of electors were ready to vote for Boychenko. The “Opposition Block” could get the same.

Political analyst Kostyantyn Batozskiy, Donetsk region ex-governor Taruta's counselor, thought that exit poll results were a pure manipulation.

At the beginning of September, according to his research, 23.5% of Mariupol residents were going to vote for Boychenko. Batozskiy himself was going to run for mayor; then he resigned.

 Halina Odnorih (left, deputy candidate) from BYT 

“This is the victory of the changed reality. The city used to be seized by force, arranging massive propaganda at plants and their MM, Kostyanyn Batozskiy commented on the election failure in Mariupol.

According to him, city residents understand the election technology very well.
However, it was for the first time that they decided to change the situation, to register the fraud committed by the printing house, and to stand to the guns in spite of the he pressure on the part of the Central Election Commission.

Could the ballots have been planted to the printing house? It was possible, though the version does not seem to be strong — the models are given to the printing house director directly by the territorial election commission head.

The election (the second attempt) was held again on November 15.

That day was one more test for the city and the whole country:

- Would the candidates from the democratic forces, who managed to unite against falsifications, be able to nominate a single mayoral candidate? Would they be supported by the Kyiv authority which must answer several simple questions:

- Would it be possible to elect «the host of the region» in the worst traditions of Yanukovich's presidency time in today's Ukraine?

- Or would it be possible to hold the election , with candidates competing for the best city development plan? The city seized by separatists not a long time ago and then liberated by Ukrainian militaries; the city, which was turned into a frontline, received internally displaced persons, and buried whole families of its residents, being shelled by Grads.

Is our memory so short?..

Anastasiya Ringis, UP

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