2010 Ukrainian Local Elections

The 2010 Ukrainian local elections took place on 31 October 2010,Yanukovych's Party Looks To Victory Amid Claims Of Election Fraud
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (November 01, 2010) two years before the 2012 general election. The voter turnout across Ukraine was about 50%, which is considered low in comparison to previous elections.

The ruling Party of Regions won clear majorities in most regions and big cities throughout Ukraine (except in the west of the country), leaving Batkivshchyna far behind. The Ukrainian nationalistic party Svoboda achieved notable success in Eastern Galicia while Our Ukraine, a major force in Ukrainian politics in the early 21st century, met with total failure. The results were contested by opposition politicians and the Communist Party.

Rescheduling of election date

On February 16, 2010 the Verkhovna Rada (the parliament of Ukraine) cancelled all Ukrainian local election dates original set for May 30, 2010. A new date was not set but Members of Parliament expected new local elections in the spring of 2011. On April 2, 2010 the Verkhovna Rada set early local elections in a number of cities, towns and villages for June 20, 2010.Rada schedules snap local elections for June 20
''Kyiv Post'' (April 2, 2010) According to opposition lawmaker Mykola Katerynchuk (Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc faction) the voting results proved that the Party of Regions intends to extend its influence over local government bodies, as the faction did not support elections in any of those regions where they already had a majority.

In late April 2010, President Viktor Yanukovych expected local elections in Ukraine to take place in 2011. In late May 2010, Yanukovych stated that local elections would be held the following autumn. Yanukovych also called for these elections to be based on the majority representation system and stressed the need to adopt the relevant laws.Yanukovych wants local elections to be held in autumn
''Kyiv Post'' (May 24, 2010)

On July 1, 2010, the Verkhovna Rada scheduled the election for Sunday, October 31, 2010.Parliament sets elections to local councils for October 31
''Kyiv Post'' (July 1, 2010) On July 11, lawmakers approved the bill on the procedure for holding the elections.Parliament passes law on local elections
''Kyiv Post'' (July 12, 2010) A total of 259 out of 485 MPs registered voted to pass the bill. Before voting, the Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko faction walked out of parliament in protest against consideration the bill without taking into account the faction's proposals. The party is planning to challenge the law on local elections under a majority-proportional system at the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. This was done by the Front of Changes party on August 5, 2010.Front for Change calls on Constitutional Court to strike down new election law
''Kyiv Post'' (August 6, 2010) Besides Front of Changes and Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Tigipko's Strong Ukraine party also stated the law violates the Constitution.

Restrictions for political parties

Parties that have been established less than a year before the election and political blocs were at first not permitted to compete in the election. This meant that parties like Strong Ukraine and Front of Changes who are high in election polls were excluded. Soon Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko (which won 156 out of 450 seats in the 2007 parliamentary elections) announced it would not participate in the elections but its main component, the All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland", will.

On August 30, 2010 the Verkhovna Rada approved Party of Regions leader Oleksandr Yefremov's amendments to the law on the election extends the opportunity to participate in local elections to all parties, not only those registered more than a year before the elections. Similar bills submitted by lawmakers Lev Biriuk (Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko) and Arseniy Yatsenyuk (Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense) had failed to collect the necessary number of votes to pass.

Electoral issues

Initially parties that had been established less than a year before the election and political blocs were not permitted to compete in the election;Ukraine changes election rules before key vote
''Kyiv Post'' (July 28, 2010)Batkivschyna Party eyes landslide in Kyiv region polls
''Kyiv Post'' (July 27, 2010) but on August 30, 2010 this restriction was abandoned by the Verkhovna Rada.Law: All parties registered in Ukraine will be able to participate in local elections
''Kyiv Post'' (August 30, 2010)

Self-nomination for the post of mayor was not allowed. Half of the total number of local council deputies were to be elected from the lists of political parties in a multi-mandate constituency. The other half was elected under a majority system in single-mandate constituencies. The elections were held with closed lists.Parliament rejects bill on local elections under open lists
''Kyiv Post'' (July 1, 2010) The election campaign started on September 11, 2010.

Running up to the election a number of opposition parties complained about violations of election legislation by election commissions across the country. A number of territorial election commissions contained members who although expelled by their party were appointed under the quota of the party they were expelled from. Owing to the anomalies in the electoral law some parties, such as Batkivshchyna, were unable to register their candidates in several districts and provinces.Westerners, local observers rip Oct. 31 elections as undemocratic
Kyiv Post (November 5, 2010) Batkivshchyna-leader Yulia Tymoshenko".

Regional exceptions

Except the election of Kyiv mayor, the Next Kyiv local election and the elections to Ternopil Regional Council elections will be conducted in all local authorities.Verkhovna Rada adopts law on local elections
, Inter-Media, ForUm (July 12, 2010)

The elections in rural councils are held under a simple plurality voting system based on single-member constituencies; the elections of mayors of cities, towns and villages are held under a plurality voting system in single-member constituencies that lie within the boundaries of the relevant city, town or village.

Parties or candidates themselves can propose to run election in rural areas and for the posts of rural areas heads; only local parties can propose candidates for the post of city mayors.Law on local election (extended)
''Kyiv Post'' (July 31, 2010)

The Supreme Council of Crimea decided to hold the 2010 Crimean parliamentary election simultaneously with the Ukrainian local elections on August 4, 2010.Ukraine’s Crimea to hold parliamentary elections on October 31
ITAR-TASS (August 4, 2010)

Costs

Ukraine's Central Electoral Commission estimated the cost of holding local elections at 3.1 million Hryvnya in May 2010 and over 1 billion Hryvnya in July 2010. The Ukrainian Finance Ministry and the Central Election Commission signed a joint protocol, which envisaged a provision of 1.024 billion Hryvnya of budget funds the elections on September 14, 2010.

Results

The ruling Party of Regions won clear majorities in most regions and big cities throughout Ukraine (except in the west of the country);Local government elections in Ukraine: last stage in the Party of Regions’ takeover of power
, Centre for Eastern Studies (October 4, 2010) it is the biggest party in two-thirds of all cities.ПР отримала мерів майже в половині областей
BBC Ukrainian (November 8, 2010) It was followed by All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland". The Ukrainian nationalistic party Svoboda achieved notable success in Eastern Galicia. Batkivshchyna, the party of the previous Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko

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