DEMOCRACY IN UKRAINE

All over but the counting

10:30 p.m. - The polls in Ukraine officially closed at 10 p.m. For 15 hours today, Ukrainian voters participated in what was effectively denied for generations — voting for multiple candidates from multiple political parties.

Turnout is regarded as robust. With rare exception, the Ukrainian voters we encountered were happy yet serious.

Since my last post, our team went to lunch at a Ukrainian restaurant on the edge of the Dnipir River (about the size of the Ohio River at this point). We recapped our observations, reviewed notes and made plans for the evening.

The first part of that plan involved a nap. We slept little the past two nights and were up early today. Though the voting is now done, the vote counting can last for another several hours — in some cases another day or more. Several things can go wrong from here on. In fact in previous elections that I have observed in Ukraine, this has been the point at which irregularities begin to emerge.

However, in elections past, we had received indications of specific incidents and fraud plots. This time, we know of certain vulnerabilities. We're not alone in that regard.

For example, at every polling station, we have interviewed partisan observers from several parties. At our last stop — Station #66 — we counted 22 party observers. Most were young.

We talked to many. They had been stationed there the entire day. Their observations matched up with one another. We always ask if they have advice on where we should observe next.

Cell phones have produced real freedom.

These young observers are speed-dialing their colleagues in other stations around the region. Party headquarters are plugged into their networks of observers. If a problem is noticed, people start swarming to the occasion.

Same with us. The IRI observers are spread out over the country. An issue came up in Odessa. We are alerted to look for signs in Dnipropetrovsk. Are their trends, or is it just a mistake? If an irregularity develops repetition and consistency then we know the matter is more serious.

The young partisan observers throughout the day have been thrilled to see our little American team come in. They ask what we think about their city, their polling station and about Ukraine. For me, it is heartwarming to see so many young Ukrainians taking charge of their country. It's quite inspiring.

When I first observed a Ukrainian election in 2002, these polls were manned by primarily older political operatives. The dedication to ballot integrity just seems much higher today.

Here at station #61 the post voting phase is going very slowly. Neighboring station #62 is already counting ballots. Here, four men are handling the unused ballots, counting them, spoiling them (lopping off a corner with scissors), binding and sealing them.

There are 12 more commissioners, mostly women, sitting and watching as the chairman demonstrates he has no delegating skills. They are patient and appear not used to this kind of situation.

Exit polls are being reported on Ukrainian media. Party of Regions is predicted to have 35%, the Julia Tymoshenko bloc is next at about 18%, Our Ukraine (the President's party) is at 13% and the rest have small amounts.

11:15 p.m. - Tables are finally being assembled in the middle of the room. The chairman is bringing the mobile boxes to the table first.

An aside: Ukrainian law is pretty strict about observing the ballot-counting phase. If you're not in the doors of the station by 10 p.m. you don't get in. The doors are locked. A couple of police officers are standing guard outside.

These people in #61 are moving like snails. The polls closed an hour and a half ago and they have not looked at a single ballot yet. I'm now betting we'll see the sunrise from here. More later.

Stumped by their national language.

11:53 p.m. - Our #63 chairman now has his fellow commissioners seated around the counting table. He discovers a problem: Under the new election law records must be written in Ukrainian. "Who here writes in Ukrainian? I can't write in Ukrainian," says the chairman. Nobody is volunteering. "I know some of you can write in Ukrainian. You're lazy. Why won't you do it?"

The ballots are still sitting in the boxes while voices and tensions are elevating. They're getting upset over the group's inability to write in their nation's language.

Other observers are shaking their heads and glancing at us to see our reaction to the situation. They're embarrassed for the commission.

It's Monday morning in Ukraine.

12:13 a.m. The chairman announces the commission needs to have a meeting to adopt an agenda and adopt ballot-counting protocols. Over at polling station #62 they're counting ballots. One of the commissioners requests a break so the smokers can smoke.

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.