2008 Kyiv local election


Early mayoral and city council elections (Ukrainian: Дотермінові вибори до київської міської ради (2008) were contested in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on May 25, 2008. The snap election was called by the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada by a 246-5 vote on March 18 amid corruption allegations involving the incumbent Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi.[1] The local election determined the new Mayor of Kyiv, as well as the composition of the 120-seat Kyiv City Council.

2008 Kyiv legislative election
25 May 2008
All 120 seats to the Kyiv City Council
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Leader Leonid Chernovetskyi Oleksandr Turchynov Vitaliy Klychko
Party Leonid Chernovetskyi Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc Vitaliy Klychko Bloc
Leader since April 13, 2003 February 9, 2001
Seats won 43 32 15
Popular vote 350,700 262,500 122,243
Percentage 30.45% 22.79% 10.61%
Results of the Kyiv City Council election.
Mayor before election

Leonid Chernovetskyi
Leonid Chernovetskyi Bloc

 Elected Mayor

Leonid Chernovetskyi
Leonid Chernovetskyi Bloc

The Ukrainian parliament assigned the job of determining the election costs to the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, working in partnership with the Kyiv City Election Commission.[2] The Kyiv CEC designated March 26 as the date for the start of election campaigning.[3]

In all, seven parties and blocs passed the 3% threshold needed to gain seats in the Kyiv City Council.[4] The incumbent Leonid Chernovetskyi was officially declared the winner of the mayoral election on May 30.[5] Yuriy Lozovskyi, Secretary of the Kyiv CEC, said that the voter turnout was estimated at 53-54%.[6]

The electoral commission said that the elections were largely clear and fair without any major incidents, but that the largest electoral violation was voter shopping.[7]

Although legally the following Kyiv local election had to take place in 2013,[8][9] eventually elections for the post of Mayor and members of Kyiv City Council took place on 25 May 2014 as part of the 2014 Ukrainian local elections.[10]

Candidates, parties, and blocs

In all, seventy-nine candidates were registered by the Kyiv Territorial Electoral Commission for the upcoming mayoral election.[11] Candidates from some of the main political parties included:

A total of 37 parties and blocs participated in the Kyiv City Council election. These included both national (e.g. Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, Our Ukraine) and local political parties (e.g. Leonid Chernovetskyi Bloc).

Results

Mayoral election
 Summary of the 25 May 2008 Kyiv mayoral election (main contenders)
Candidates Votes %    2006
Leonid Chernovetskyi (Leonid Chernovetskyi Bloc) 431,500 37.72% 5,89%[18]
Oleksandr Turchynov (Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc) 218,600 19.13% Did not run
Vitaliy Klychko (Vitaliy Klychko Bloc) 205,300 17.97% 5,73%
Victor Pylypyshyn (Lytvyn Bloc) 6.73% Did not run
Mykola Katerynchuk (Mykola Katerynchuk Bloc) 4.43% Did not run
Vasyl Horbal (Party of Regions) 2.54% Did not run
Oleksandr Omelchenko (Oleksandr Omelchenko Bloc) 2.37% 18,82%
Oleh Tyahnybok (All-Ukrainian Union "Freedom") 1.38% Did not run
Oleksandr Pabat (Kyiv Civil Activists) 1.35% Did not run
Invalid ballot papers 48,600
Total (turnout 52.02%) 1,164,823
Source: UNIAN News Agency (English)

City Council election
 Summary of the 25 May 2008 Kyiv City Council elections
Parties and blocs Votes %[19] Seats    (2006)
Leonid Chernovetskyi Bloc (Блок Леонід Черновецький) 350,700 30.45% 43 9%[20]
Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (Блок Юлії Тимошенко) 262,500 22.79% 32 19%
Vitaliy Klychko Bloc (Блок Віталія Кличко) 10.61% 15
Lytvyn Bloc (Блок Литвина) 8.17% 11 4.54%
Kyiv Civil Activists (Громадський актив Києва) 5.95% 8 1,94%
Party of Regions (Партія регіонів) 3.95% 6 1,81%
Mykola Katerynchuk Bloc (Блок Миколи Катеринчука) 3.47% 5
Oleksandr Omelchenko Bloc (Блок Олександра Омельченка) 2,26% 0 did not run[21]
Communist Party of Ukraine (Комуністична партія України) 2,24% 0 0,5%
All-Ukrainian Union "Freedom" (Всеукраїнське об'єднання «Свобода») 2,08% 0 1,71%
Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc (Наша Україна) 23 202 2% 0 13%
Ukrainian People's Party (Українська народна партія) 2 884 0,25% 0 1,3%
Pora (ПОРА) 1,980 0,17%[22] 0 13%[23]
Invalid ballot papers 184,159 15,81%
Total (turnout 52.02%) 1,164,823 100% 120
Source: Ukrainian News
The Reforms and Order Party, Vitaliy Klychko Bloc and PORA contested the March 26, 2006 city council elections as one bloc.[23]

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Faction chances since the elections

Severe changes occurred in the Kyiv City Council following 2008. As of September 2011 seven additional factions had been created (2 of them with only 2 members, 1 with 3 members).[24] The faction of the winner of the election, the Leonid Chernovetskyi Bloc, disbanded itself on September 22, 2011.[25][26] (all the deputies that were members of the faction at the time where then considered as independents[26]); this made the faction of UDAR of Vitaliy Klychko the biggest faction with 12 seats (3 seats less them won) followed by the Party of Regions with 10 seats (4 seats more than won).[24] Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko saw 22 deputies leaving the faction since the election.[24]

In January 2013 the UDAR faction was 13 persons strong while the Party of Regions faction had fallen down to 8 people.[24] This made the People's Party faction with 11 deputies the second biggest faction.[24] The faction Democratic Party of Ukraine contained 10 deputies.[24] Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko had lost 1 more deputy and stood at 9.[24] Just as much as the factions Social Justice and Initiative.[24] These last two and the faction Democratic Party of Ukraine where created in 2011.[27][28][29][30] In June 2013 the People's Party faction contained 4 people.[24] The other factions membership had stayed stable.[24]

Following the 2008 election the following persons gave up there seat: Yulia Tymoshenko, Oleksandr Turchynov, Mykola Tomenko, Mykola Katerynchuk, Anatoliy Khostykoyev, Stepan Chernovetskyi (son of the Kyiv Mayor) and Tetiana Donets.[31][32][33] The next person in the party list is appointed a city council deputy when their colleagues give up there seat.[34]

Polls

According to a telephone poll conducted prior to the election by the Razumkov Centre, 25.2% of the respondents said they would support Vitaliy Klychko for the position of mayor, 24.9% support Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi, 10% support the former city mayor Oleksandr Omelchenko, 6% support current Vice-Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov, and 5.4% said they support the Minister of Internal Affairs Yuriy Lutsenko.[35]

A different poll conducted by the Center of Political and Marketing Studies Sotsis, showed that 22.8% of the respondents support the incumbent mayor, 22% support Vitaliy Klychko, 11.5% support Oleksandr Omelchenko, 6.3% support Verkhovna Rada Deputy Mykola Tomenko, and 5.7% support Yuriy Lutsenko.[36]

Calls for new snap elections

On December 12, 2008 Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced at a news briefing that she was confident that early mayoral elections would be held again in Kyiv.[37] On December 11, 2008 the Kyivenergo utility company began cutting the supply of hot water to about 5,000 homes in Kyiv because of the Kyiv municipal administration's failure to compensate the company for the difference between the tariffs charged by Kyivenerho and the actual cost of its services, Tymoshenko accuses incumbent Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi of using money from the municipal budget to finance his election campaign (and so there were insufficient funds to pay Kyivenerho).[38]

On February 6, 2009 the Vitaliy Klychko Bloc stated it will apply to the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers, the National Security and Defense Council and the Kyiv prosecutor's office with a request to take into consideration the unlawfulness of Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi actions and to call early mayoral elections in the city.[39]

Early January 2010 Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn stated he started preparing a draft law to conduct an early mayoral election in Kyiv on May 30, 2010 as well as a local council election. He stated he "could not stand what was going on in Kyiv any longer" and that his own Lytvyn Bloc would will take part in the election.[40][41] A resolution setting early Kyiv election for May 30, 2010 was registered in the Ukrainian parliament on January 18, 2010 but it was not included in the agenda yet.[42] The resolution was cancelled on February 16, 2010.[43]

On February 16, 2010 the Ukrainian parliament cancelled all Ukrainian local election dates original set for May 30, 2010.[43][44][45][46][47] A new date was not set but Members of Parliament expected new local elections in the spring of 2011.[48][49] Eventually these local elections did take place late 2010[50]

After former Mayor Chernovetsky had tendered his resignation on 1 June 2012[51] a petition to the Ukrainian Parliament on holding an early mayoral election in the city was sent (the date of the early mayoral election is set by this parliament).[51]

Although (in November 2011) it looked that the next Kyiv local election (including Mayoral elections) where set for 2012;[52] in January 2013 the Ukrainian Parliament had set no date for these elections.[53] Legally they had to take place in 2013.[8][9] But in May 2013 the Constitutional Court of Ukraine set the date of the election to 25 October 2015.[54]

Eventually elections for the post of Mayor and members of Kyiv City Council took place on 25 May 2014 as part of the 2014 Ukrainian local elections.[10]

See also

References
  1. Laws of Ukraine. Decree of the Verkhovna Rada No. 143-VI: On the designation of early elections to the deputies of the Kyiv City Rada and the Kyiv City Head. Adopted on 2008-03-18. (Ukrainian)
  2. "The Verkhovna Rada designated early elections to the Mayor of Kyiv". Korrespondent (in Russian). March 18, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  3. "The election campaign in Kyiv will begin on the 26th of March". Korrespondent (in Russian). March 21, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  4. "Klychko To Continue His Political Career In Ukraine". UNIAN. Ukrainian News. June 2, 2008. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  5. Liang, Yan (May 29, 2008). "Ukraine's Kiev mayor wins re-election". www.chinaview.cn. Xinhua. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  6. "Almost half of Kyiv residents neglected mayor election". UNIAN. May 26, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  7. "KEC: Elections in Kyiv were clear and fair". Korrespondent (in Russian). May 26, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  8. CEC member: Kyiv City Council to be elected for five years in upcoming election, Interfax-Ukraine (16 February 2013)
  9. Rada suggests to hold elections of Kyiv mayor, city council on June 2, Kyiv Post (7 March 2013)
  10. Parliament sets elections for Kyiv mayor and Kyiv City Council deputies for May 25, Interfax-Ukraine (25 February 2014)
  11. "The end of registration of candidates for the post of Mayor of Kyiv". Korrespondent (in Russian). April 23, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-24.
  12. "Parliament votes for ouster of Kiev mayor". Ukrainian Journal. March 18, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  13. "Tyagnibok goes for the Mayor of Kyiv". Korrespondent (in Russian). March 23, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
  14. "Kyiv city organization VO "Svoboda" conducted an early party conference". Press agency of the Kyiv city organization VO "Svoboda" (in Ukrainian). All-Ukrainian Union "Freedom". March 22, 2008. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
  15. "Kaskyv is moved into the candidates for mayor". Korrespondent (in Russian). April 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  16. "Tymoshenko and Lutsenko announced Turchynov the only candidate from the coalition". Korrespondent (in Russian). May 22, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  17. "Kaskyv is moved into the candidates for mayor". Korrespondent (in Russian). April 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
  18. "Campaigning In Early Mayoral And Municipal Council Elections Starts In Kyiv". www.ukranews.com. OtherSide. March 26, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  19. KYIV ELECTION COMMISSION PUBLISHES FINAL RESULTS OF ELECTRONIC CALCULATION OF VOTES ON ELECTIONS TO KYIV CITY COUNCIL, Interfax-Ukraine (May 28, 2008)
  20. "Ukraine: Yulia Tymoshenko defeated in municipal elections in Kyiv". East Week Centre for Eastern Studies. Archived from the original on 2012-07-15. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  21. Block Omelchenkowhich will storm Kyiv (in Ukrainian), Ukrayinska Pravda, April 9, 2008
  22. "Chernovetskyi Bloc, Tymoshenko Bloc, Klychko Bloc, Lytvyn Bloc, Civil Activists Of Kyiv, Regions Party, Katerynchuk Bloc Elected To Kyiv Council". Ukrainian News. May 28, 2008. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
  23. "Pora Nominates Kaskiv For Kyiv Mayor". April 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  24. (in Ukrainian) Голови депутатських фракцій та груп Київради VI скликання Archived 2011-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, Kyiv City Council
  25. Faction of Chernovetksyi's Bloc stopped its existence, UNIAN (September 23, 2011)
  26. Chernovetsky Bloc in Kyiv City Council disbanded, Kyiv Post (September 22, 2011)
  27. (in Ukrainian)Онлайн-конференція з лідером громадської організації "Соціальна справедливість", кандидатом в депутати ВР Аллою Шлапак Archived 2012-12-20 at the Wayback Machine, RBC Ukraine (23 August 2012)
  28. (in Ukrainian)У Київраді створена депутатська фракція "Демократична партія України", RBC Ukraine (10 November 2011)
  29. У Київраді створено три нові фракції, RBC Ukraine (25 May 2011)
  30. У Київраді створено дві нові фракції - депутатська група "Соціальна справедливість" і фракція "Спортивний Київ", - Герега, RBC Ukraine (23 June 2011)
  31. (in Ukrainian) Список депутатів нової Верховної Ради, Ukrayinska Pravda (11 November 2012)
  32. They Call Themselves the Opposition, The Ukrainian Week (31 August 2012)
  33. (in Ukrainian) Тетяна Донець: Я не хрещениця Лазаренка, але мій тато хрестив його доньку, Ukrayinska Pravda (10 Augustus 2012)
  34. Mayor's son to give up his seat in city council, Kyiv Post (December 22, 2009)
  35. "Poll: Klichko is winning on the elections of the Mayor of Kyiv". Korrespondent (in Russian). March 21, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  36. "Sotsis: Chernovetsky passes Klichko by 0.8%". Korrespondent (in Russian). March 20, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  37. Tymoshenko Confident That Early Mayoral Elections Will Be Repeated In Kyiv Archived 2009-08-20 at the Wayback Machine, Ukrainian News Agency (December 12, 2008)
  38. Cabinet Of Ministers To Consider Problems Arising In Kyiv Archived 2009-08-20 at the Wayback Machine, Ukrainian News Agency (December 12, 2008)
  39. Klychko Bloc In Kyiv Council Seeking Early Termination Of Chernovetskyi's Powers Archived 2012-09-19 at Archive.today, Ukrainian News Agency (February 6, 2009)
  40. Lytvyn wants early mayoral elections, Kyiv Post (January 7, 2010)
  41. Lytvyn believes that today there are enough grounds for early election of Kyiv Mayor and Kyiv Council, UNIAN (January 11, 2010)
  42. Draft resolution to oust Kyiv mayor registered in parliament, Kyiv Post (January 18, 2010)
  43. Ukrainian parliament cancels mayor's election date of May 30, Kyiv Post (February 16, 2010)
  44. Postponing local elections in Ukraine without appointing new date violates constitution, Kyiv Post (February 16, 2010)
  45. Lawmakers cancel local elections, Kyiv Post (February 16, 2010)
  46. Postponement of local election date profitable to all political parties, says political scientist, Kyiv Post (February 17, 2010)
  47. Stealing votes, Kyiv Post (February 18, 2010)
  48. Yefremov: Local elections in Ukraine could take place in 2011, Kyiv Post (February 16, 2010)
  49. BYT member Tomenko suggests scheduling local elections for March 27, 2011, Kyiv Post (February 16, 2010)
  50. Yanukovych's Party Looks To Victory Amid Claims Of Election Fraud, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (November 01, 2010)
  51. Hereha sends petition to parliament on holding of early mayoral election in Kyiv, Kyiv Post (19 July 2012)
  52. Party of Regions leader: 'Pre-term mayoral elections in Kyiv are pointless', Kyiv Post (November 18, 2011)
  53. Lytvyn: Date for mayoral election in Kyiv to be determined after parliamentary elections, Kyiv Post (29 August 2012)
    Speaker: Elections in Kyiv may be held in spring of 2013, Kyiv Post (24 November 2012)
    Klitschko party proposes holding mayoral election in Kyiv on June 3, Kyiv Post (13 December 2012)
  54. Local elections in Kyiv should be held in 2015, according to Constitutional Court, Interfax-Ukraine (30 May 2013)
    Ukraine court ruling on Kiev mayor election ‘pro-government’, Euronews (31 May 2013)
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