DEMOCRACY IN UKRAINE

Long lines for democracy

Since my last report, we've been to a few more polling stations. We've been to stations #72, 73, 61 and 62. At each, we first find the commission chairman, present credentials and ask questions of voters, station workers and various party representatives.

So far, it seems the expected problem of getting enough polling workers was unwarranted — at least in the four stations we've visited. That's no commentary about the rest of Ukraine, or even Dnipropetrovsk, just the areas of town we're working. Staffing is near 100%.

The chairman of #61 clearly didn't want us there. So, as of now, #61 is our first choice for a return visit at the end of balloting.

Here in #62, where I stand right now, lines are shortest but still brisk. This team of poll workers is the best organized we've seen. Its chairman has never been in charge before. Last year he was a driver for the chairman. He's young and confident and a delegate to the commission put forward by the commission by the Party of Regions

At 2:30P, this station has had 1070 people vote out of 2,400 registered voters.

The ballot boxes are 3/4 full and there's still 7 hours to go until the polls close. The chairman says they'll just mash the ballots down and hope they have room for the last one.

A couple other stations told me they have extra ballot boxes for this reason. Five ballots per voter at 2 feet long per ballot is a very large volume of paper.

At #61 we ran into a line of people who were told they are not registered to vote. One woman is angry. She says she's always voted here, but her name is not on the list today. She's in a second line to see if the problem can be resolved.

The commission vice-chairman said he was getting frustrated. Certain efforts were made since the last election to clean up the voting lists but in the process some people were inadvertently removed. Ukrainian officials have been urging voters to verify their status in the weeks running up to today's election.

Only 1% of voters did so. I asked a lady in a brown coat if she verified her status. She said, "why should I? I've been voting here for 15 years and I have the same address."

I guess now she knows why. Still, she's angry and holding the vice-chairman personally responsible.

I pulled the frazzled vice-chairman aside to talk. He told me he wants everyone to vote, but he has rules.

He says he'll endure any anguish necessary because he believes in the greater cause of democracy taking place. But, he's clearly not having fun today.

Over the lunch hour, Mike and I found a tiny Catholic Church — St. Joseph's. It's a converted house. Mass was in Ukrainian. Afterwards, it's back to our mission at the next polling station.

Former U.S. Congressman Bob Schaffer, a member of the Colorado State Board of Education, is an election observer for the Parliamentary elections in Ukraine. The election is coming up this Sunday, March 26.