With the construction of the new RADA more or less complete - baring the few contested single mandate seats that remain unresolved - the return of the good, the bad and the ugly to the legislature is complete. A radically different picture to the historically more evenly times when the rich, connected/sponsored/owned and the outright […]
Archives for October 2014
Leaving the club - or several actually (Odessa)
October 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment
As regular readers will have noted, the blog has recently become rather “Odessa-centric” - for good reason. There are those that read this blog in Kyiv, Brussels and several capitals specifically to get a “feel” for what is going on in Odessa at certain times - particularly at times of unexpected incident, elections or “interesting […]
A brief Post Mortem - Odessa
October 29, 2014 by 1 Comment
As election results start to be declared, there will be those who may be somewhat surprised by some results from certain regions of Ukraine - we can look to Kharkiv and Odessa for some that may, prima facie, make us ponder. As it seems Kharkiv has returned 13 ex-Regionaires from 14 single mandate seats, and 8 […]
Whilst counting continues - Odessa projections
October 28, 2014 by 2 Comments
Although counting continues and official winners are yet to be named, the expected outcomes of the elections as far as Odessa is concerned seems likely to produce the following results: District 133 (Kiev district of Odessa) - Edward Matviichuk District 134 (Malinovsky district of Odessa) - Gennady Chekita District 135 District (Primorsky district of Odessa) […]
The electoral (infringement) map - Ukraine
October 27, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Having mentioned electoral law infringements several times recently, it is perhaps wise to look at those infringements on a national basis, region by region. Firstly there is this map relating to the lead up to today’s elections - input ending at yesterday’s legally imposed purdah. It lists 2331 infringements of electoral law between 22th September […]
Whilst in a state of purdah - security for polling day
October 26, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Whilst Ukraine enters a state of purdah, and all electioneering has thus ended, in keeping with the spirit of an official and lawfully required end to campaigning, there will be no mention of the election - as far as voting, outcomes, infringements and speculative coalitions are concerned. However, related in the current circumstances is the […]
An unusual course of events
October 25, 2014 by 2 Comments
One of the few benefits of spending 10 minutes a day, most days over the past few years, churning out less than erudite rumination more often than not, is that when Ukraine and/or Odessa are for some reason internationally interesting, approaches are made by journalists wanting either an interview (most requests refused), or a “fixer” […]
Modest desires
October 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The currently self-declared - and if there is a local “election”, rubber stamped - “Prime Minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic” (otherwise known as occupied Ukraine to many) Alexander Zaharchenko, today stated that the “army of the Donetsk People’s Republic” intends to recapture Kramatorskaya, Slavyansk and Mariupol. Unsurprising rhetoric of course. As has previously been written, Mariupol […]
Vulnerable voters and voting vulnerability
October 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment
As has been mentioned recently, the number of internally displaced persons due to the undeclared war in eastern Ukraine is a particularly sad, and is going to be an enduring social issue for Ukrainian society and government alike, for some considerable time to come. Notwithstanding what will undoubtedly prove to be a humanitarian calamity at […]
Points make prizes - but is the prize worth having?
October 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment
With the RADA elections now only 5 days away, some thought should perhaps be given regarding any new coalitions and cabinet of ministers that will follow. Way back on 24th/25th July an entry was published that stated Volodymyr Groysman would become Prime Minister after the forthcoming RADA elections as long as he didn’t drop the ball […]