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The EU and presidential elections in Ukraine
| During recent months the EU has repeatedly emphasised the importance of conducting the upcoming Presidential elections in Ukraine in a free and transparent manner. To assist the Central Election Committee of Ukraine, as well as civil society, in that process the EU has allocated ˆ1 million through a variety of technical assistance projects.
Support to the Election Process (partner: The Central Election Commission of Ukraine)
This project has a number of interlinked activities, all aimed at improving the chances of having well administered, free and transparent elections in Ukraine. It provides training in understanding the new election law for election commissioners at both TEC and PSC levels. In order to ensure sustainability of this process, the project is also producing a training video. As part of improving the legal education of voters, the project is implementing a substantial voter education campaign which includes TV and radio announcements, a poster campaign and newspaper inserts for Ukrainians living abroad. The project will also provide training for judges at local and appeal court levels, and is assisting the CEC with the publication of 150 000 copies of the new Law on Election of the President. After the election itself, the focus will turn to development of sustainability measures for the progress made in training a professional cadre of election officials, as well as developing recommendation on a new voter registration system.
Election activities projects with NGOs
Strengthening Media Freedom, Transparency and Rule of Law during the Ukrainian Presidential Elections 2004 (implemented by the NGO Article 19)
The project aims to improve voters’ access to quality information as well as media coverage in the 2004 electoral process in Ukraine by a combination of measures. The project’s primary target groups are media practitioners, legal practitioners (judges/lawyers), and public officials, mainly from election administration bodies. The secondary target is the wider public, who will benefit from better performance of the primary target groups during the electoral period. Activities are:
| | Video (in Ukrainian 23.5 Mb) | | Audio materials (in Ukrainian) | | Posters (in Ukrainian) | | Frequently Asked Questions – Ukrainian Presidential elections | | monitoring of the election coverage of 8−10 country-wide media outlets and the main regional outlets in Kharkiv, Zakarpattia and Crimea regions (with special focus on gender and minority issues); | | legal advice/representation of journalists prosecuted during the electoral process; training of judges on the application of European Court standards of freedom of expression (FOE); | | training and awareness-raising of electoral administration and other officials on the practicalities of providing due access to information to the public. In both training areas –FOE for judges, and freedom of information (FOI) for public officials–, a training-of-trainer component is included to achieve a multiplying effect; | | analysis of electoral and other legislation from a FOE perspective and advocate for necessary improvements. |
| | Voter Education and Mobilization Project: Towards achievement of an equal playing field for all candidates in the Ukrainian Presidential Elections 2004 (implemented by the Counterpart Creative Centre)
The Project is aimed at raising more responsible, informed, motivated, conscious and active voters who will contribute to the achievement of an equal playing field for all candidates in the Ukrainian Presidential Election−2004.
The Project tasks are the following:
| increasing voters’ activism and pro-active participation in the Ukrainian Presidential Election−2004 process with a special focus on 5 regions;
| | raising the level of citizens awareness on importance of smart voting (conscious choice made upon the analysis of the candidates’ programmes) and role of their vote; | creating cascade/multiplier mechanisms to disseminate knowledge and activism in communities;
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| | Youth Mobilization and Education in Ukrainian Elections 2004(implemented by the Centre for Political Education)
The overall objective of the project is to promote a free and fair Ukrainian Presidential election in 2004 by the means of youth mobilization and education.
There are 15 Project target regions: Kyiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr , Rivne , Khmel’nyts’k , Sumy , Chernihiv , Poltava , Kharkiv , Luhans’k , Dnipropetrovs’k , Odesa , Crimea, Mykolaiv .
The project is targeted toward:
| | Local and regional youth NGOs – approximately 300 NGOs will participate in project activities and will be direct beneficiaries. Also, another 300 Youth NGOs will be involved in the coalition building process at the local level and will be indirect beneficiaries. | | Rural youth – over 500,000 young voters will participate in the mobilization and education campaign activities (direct beneficiaries). Another 500,000 young voters will receive the information about project and different mobilization and educational materials (indirect beneficiaries). | | First-time voters. Over 40,000 young people will participate in the mobilization and education campaign activities (direct beneficiaries). |
| | http://www.muv.org.ua/
Transparency of Election and Presidential Election 2004 in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (implemented by the Cherkassy Regional Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers)
The overall objective of the action is to secure international standards with respect to voting rights (including the standards of Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) during the Ukrainian Presidential Election in 2004, in military detachments on the territory of Cherkassy, Chernigiv, Kherson, Kyiv, and Zhytomyr regions of Ukraine.
This overall objective will be achieved through
| | education and training activities among the target group during the Election Campaign; | | establishing monitoring centres for observing adherence to the international voting rights during the President Election; | | media monitoring – preparation, publication and dissemination of monitoring surveys about voting rights in military detachments. |
| | Each Vote Matters (implemented by the Donetsk Youth Debate Centre)
“Each vote matters” is aimed at enhancing free and fair elections in Ukraine in compliance with the European Commission and Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe standards. In particular, the Project focuses on the concept of free elections as a basis of democracy. The main target group of the Project is the youth body of electors aged up to 28 years of age. The main beneficiaries of the Project also include journalists, for mass media performs one of five principles of the Europe's Electoral Heritage – the principle of equal Elective Law. Additionally to the these target groups the beneficiaries of the Project will include citizens of all involved regions, such as Donetsk, Kharkiv, Lugansk, and Sumy regions.
Pre-Election Empowerment Training Initiative for First Time Voters (implemented by the Human Rights Foundation)
The project is strategically aimed at the capacity building of regional NGOs to help young citizens (first-time voters) to be engaged more effectively in the political and social decision-making process through active citizenship, election education & mobilization. Target group: youth leaders (age 18−25) who are active in regional or national NGO & interested in developing projects on pre-election education & election mobilization.
Main activities:
| | developing & evaluating peer model training curriculum - training for youth trainers; | | 7-day Train-the-Trainers Course (the key issue on the agenda will focus on first-time voter education & mobilization); | | 3-day regional seminars for Youth leaders in 7 regions; | | initiating regional pre-election awareness raising initiatives (lectures for first-time voters, round tables, Presidential Election Campaign 2004 monitoring & reporting) in 7 target regions; | Manual for trainers on pre-election education for youth; informational booklets will be designed, published & disseminated among target organizations in Ukraine.
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