UKRAINE: POLITICS - Ukraine votes in parliamentary elections, soccer star Andriy Shevchenko and former President Viktor Yushchenko cast their ballots

Record ID: 702422

  • Title: UKRAINE: POLITICS - Ukraine votes in parliamentary elections, soccer star Andriy Shevchenko and former President Viktor Yushchenko cast their ballots
  • Date: 28th October 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF VILLAGERS LEAVING CHURCH, ENTERING POLLING STATION VARIOUS OF VOTERS AT POLLING STATION VILLAGERS CASTING THEIR VOTES (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) MUROVANE VILLAGE RESIDENT MARIA PELYKH, 69, SAYING: "We need the freedom of the press, we need the Ukrainian language, we need right politics, we need all people to be protected and not just businessmen." PEOPLE AT POLLING STATION BALLOTS FALLING DOWN IN TRANSPARENT BALLOT BOXES BALLOTS CAST IN TRANSPARENT BALLOT BOX
  • Embargoed: 12th November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA153XCWEZSAFTU6DQU6L1MOTR
  • Story Text: Ukrainians voted on Sunday (October 28) in an election that President Viktor Yanukovich's pro-business ruling party seemed likely to win, but it may now face a re-energised opposition which has promised to fight growing authoritarianism and corruption.
    With Yanukovich's main rival, Yulia Tymoshenko, in jail and with the West seeing the poll as a test of Ukraine's commitment to democracy, interest will focus on the judgement that international monitors will hand down on Monday.
    The former Soviet republic of 46 million is more isolated internationally than it has been for years. Tymoshenko's continued imprisonment has put it at odds with the United States and European Union, while Russia turns a deaf ear to Kiev's calls for cheaper gas.
    At home, the government's popularity has been hit by tax and pensions policies and a failure to stamp out corruption, prompting it to shy away from painful reforms that could secure much-needed IMF lending to shore up an export-driven economy.
    Despite this and growing apathy among an electorate tired of political bickering, opinion polls have shown Yanukovich's Party of the Regions is ahead of the joint opposition, and a liberal party headed by boxing champion Vitaly Klitschko.
    In total 87 parties take part in the elections but only five are expected to cross 5 percent threshold needed to secure entry into the new parliament.
    Another celebrated Ukrainian sportsman, footballer Andriy Shevchenko, who retired from sport earlier in the year has also joined the race for a mandate in the new parliament.

    "A huge chunk of work has been done. These last three months have been really good for us. I'm happy with my choice, I'm happy with my campaign. Thousands and thousands of people were coming to our meetings, I feel that support," Shevchenko said after voting in capital Kiev.
    Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko led his 'Our Ukraine' party to the poll but is unlikely to cross the needed threshold. The Orange Revolution leader became president in 2005 and then lost support due to chaotic policies.
    Ukrainian voters feel frustrated with both the current and the previous cabinets.
    In traditional opposition stronghold in Western Ukraine many went to churches before turning at the polling stations putting their hopes for a better life in the hands of God rather than the country's political leaders.

    "We need the freedom of the press, we need the Ukrainian language, we need right politics, we need all people to be protected and not just businessmen," said 69-year-old Maria Pelykh from the village of Murovane in Lviv region of Western Ukraine.
    The government raised public sector wages and pensions ahead of the vote, recovering some of its lost support at the cost of widening the budget deficit which tripled year-on-year to $2 billion for the period of January to August. Ukraine's economy is vulnerable to falling demand for steel and other exports.
    The Regions has also promised to make Russian an official state language alongside Ukrainian - a move aimed at winning back disenchanted supporters in Russian-speaking areas of the east and south but which alienates many voters elsewhere.
    Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. and were to close at 8 p.m (1800 GMT) with exit polls following swiftly afterwards.
    Of the 450 seats in the single-chamber parliament, 225 will be filled by voters casting ballots for parties to send candidates from a list.
    The other half will be decided by voting for individual candidates on a first-past-the-post basis - a feature re-introduced by the Regions which is assumed to favour the party.
    Though results will begin to trickle in almost immediately, an accurate overall picture will emerge only much later on Monday since counts in individual constituencies take longer.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register