Ukraine Local Elections - People Give Government a Free Pass For Now

Local elections carried out on Sunday in Ukraine were described as a test of Poroshenko’s government.  In the event, the electorate has given the government a free pass for now.

Turnout was low (seeming to average around 40%), there were no major disruptions (though balloting in Mariupol was canceled and will have to be done later), and parties of the extreme right or left did not sweep into power.  The worst that can be said is that a seeming reversion in the east to parities supported by parochial, oligarchic interests is not a good sign for civil society.

Despite widespread public distrust of government and dissatisfaction with the economy, the electorate, by not showing up and by not voting for extremists is giving the government the option to reform before getting punished in subsequent elections.

Local electoral contests financed by oligarchic interests and/or restructured political machines, and involving fraud and overt electoral manipulation--such as between Borys Filatov, backed by oligarchic Ihor Kolomoisky, and Oleksandr Vilkul, the Russia leaning descendent of the Yanukovych era Party of the Regions backed by Oligarchic Rinat Akhmetov--do not instill confidence in the integrity of the electoral process or the legitimacy of government.

For Ukraine to move forward, whoever wins needs the credibility of a reasonably fair election process that reflects the wider interests of civil society.  Neither Filatov nor Vilkul have that.

To endure, and for the sake of a strong civil society, the Poroshenko government has to make progress on three reform fronts,

• ·      The corruption agenda, especially judicial reform where the principles of sound corporate and public governance are established and defended,
• ·      The economic agenda, especially the need to separate politics and business based in law, supportive economic policies and transperancy.
• ·      The political agenda, where reform is essential to build a credible civil society.  Indeed, the incumbents need it most if government is to gain credibility and legitimacy.

Poroshenko needs to deliver a cleaner election process next time around through an uninterrupted reform process.

An excellent break down of Sunday’s election results and implications by freelance journalist Oliver Carroll can be found at http://www.politico.eu/article/petro-poroshenko-hobbles-on-ukraine-local-election-vote-rigging/