Ukrainians Observed – Determined Democracy

Interview by John Pidkowich, The New Pathway

Ed Komarnicki, Canadian Member of Parliament, upon his recent return, discussed his activities as an international election observer in Ukraine during the preterm Parliamentary elections held on September 30, 2007.

Ed Komarnicki was a member of the group of election monitors sent to Ukraine by the International Republican Institute, a non-profit organization funded by the United States Agency for International Aid (US AID). His assignment included meeting with members of Ukraine’s Central Election Commission in Kyiv and local election commission members at polling stations in and around Simferopol, Crimea. His team included an interpreter/facilitator, a driver and an IRI staff member. On Election Day, Komarnicki visited 15 polling stations in the Simferopol region, starting at 5:30 am with opening procedures, checking voter lists and voting procedures throughout the day and ending with the ballot and vote count. Then, the final results were followed for delivery to the Simferopol Territorial Election Commission at 2:30 am next morning.

 In being asked about the most positive aspects of the electoral process observed, Komarnicki replied that the local electoral commission members possessed factual knowledge and had a good grasp of the electoral process, being well-organized from opening to closing counting, maintaining the security of the ballot boxes and reasonable calm and order throughout the day. Komarnicki was particularly impressed with the level of cooperation in meeting with electoral chairs/vice-chairs and other commission members, although at one polling station, monitoring became awkward as a result of being followed.

 Shortcomings included voter list irregularities where voters left off the list were not happy and expressed it so. Also, the voter list had a high number of individuals whose name appeared more than once with Russian and Ukrainian transliteration spellings and for some with further variations. The mobile voting urns had voter lists of various length, and as impractical this practice is to control and verify voting, the actual number of voters on any given list was not substantial. Komarnicki noted that the physical location for voting needs to meet minimum standards. At one location, two polling stations were connected such that the opening, voting and counting of one station required going through the other. In questioning, uniformed security personnel were found on the premises of polling stations and present even up to the “doors” of the voting room (not cubicle) depending on  facility provision for voting space i.e. lobby open space vs. single room building.

 Canadians can learn from the electoral process in Ukraine by understanding that for a “fair, democratic, transparent electoral process” without fraud, a complex electoral system is required. Such is the case with our own electoral process run by ordinary people who require training and the necessary infrastructure to create the atmosphere of a “free” election. Kormanicki identifies these provisions to help eliminate or mitigate circumstances preventing a “free” election in Ukraine or anywhere for that matter.

Komarnicki personally believes that the significance of election monitoring, as an “outside” international observer leads to local officials being more apt to adhere to principles of good conduct, not follow unwarranted practices and thereby, yielding more acceptable election results.

 The significance of election monitoring observers in Ukraine to Ukrainian Canadians is the worthiness of “contributing to the ‘big picture’ for a better election with better, trustworthy results” stated Komarnicki, whose presence helps stimulates an acceptable electoral process, the importance of voter education and resource requirements for  people to conduct the vote in Ukrainian elections.

 Ed Komarnicki is a lawyer and a Conservative Member of Parliament for Souris Moose Mountain – Saskatchewan. He is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Ed Komarnicki is of Ukrainian Canadian Heritage.