2014 Ukrainian local elections

2014 Ukrainian local elections
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Location of elections throughout Ukraine.

The 2014 Ukrainian local elections took place on 25 May 2014, four years after the conclusion of the last local elections, which took place in October 2010. The elections occurred during the political crisis in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution.

Although the Verkhovna Rada did not schedule early local elections for entire Ukraine, it announced early elections in a number of places throughout Ukraine, including mayoral elections for some large cities, such as Odesa and 2014 Kyiv local election.[1][2]

Overall, mayoral elections occurred in 43 cities, 27 settlements, and 200 villages, in addition to 2 city council and 3 village council elections, throughout 14 of Ukraine's 24 oblasts, and were also scheduled to take place in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. No Ukrainian mayoral or council elections took place in the Crimea, however, as, in March 2014 it was unilaterally annexed by Russia.[3][4][nb 1]

In June 2014, the Verkhovna Rada scheduled early mayoral elections for ten additional cities to be held on October 26, 2014.[6]

Changes in the law

On April 8, 2014, the Ukrainian parliament passed a new law regarding the local elections in the country. The new law allows local elections to be conducted concurrently with presidential elections. It also formalized the status of election observers, officially making them a part of the electoral process, and expanding their rights and authority. The new law also provides for the creation of territorial election commissions, provisions for removing local election officials before the end of their term, and changes to how the country's central election commission leadership is appointed.[7]

On April 10, the parliament proposed to amend the local elections law to require a runoff vote for mayoral elections in cities with populations over 500,000, such as Kyiv and Odesa,[8] but the proposal failed a vote in parliament.

Election locations

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See also
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The Verkhovna Rada, the parliament of Ukraine, scheduled the elections for Kyiv's mayor and city council for 25 May 2014, which were contested concurrently with the country's presidential election.[2]

In late February, the parliament announced early mayoral elections for 27 cities throughout Ukraine:[1]

On March 15, the Verkhovna Rada announced early elections for 228 localities throughout the country for 25 May 2014.[9] In addition, the parliament also announced early elections for five mayors throughout the country:[10]

On March 17, the parliament announced early elections for the Cherkasy City Council.[11]

On March 25, the deadline for announcing early elections according to Ukraine's electoral law, the Verkhovna Rada announced mayoral elections for 10 additional cities throughout the country:[12]

Results

Vitali Klitschko won the mayoral election in Kyiv with almost 57% of the votes,[13] while his party the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform won 73 of the 120 seats in the Kyiv City Council.[14][15]

In Odesa Gennadiy Trukhanov defeated Eduard Gurvits with 43.39% against 32,02% in the mayoral election.[16]

In Mykolaiv Acting Mayor Yuriy Hranaturov kept this post with 28,29%.[17] Hranaturov was an independent candidate, but former Party of Regions member until a few months for the election.[18]

In Kherson Acting Mayor and Batkivshchyna member Volodymyr Mykolayenko won the mayoral elections in with 35.93%.[19][20]

In Sumy (also) Acting Mayor and (also) Batkivshchyna member Oleksandr Lysenko won the mayoral elections in with 41,07%.[21][22]

The Central Election Commission of Ukraine ordered a re-count in Cherkasy by a new local Election Commission on 4 June 2014 because of "systematic and gross violations of the law".[23]

Communist Party of Ukraine candidate Valentin Demyanchuk won the mayoral election in Piatykhatky, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with 27% of the vote.[24]

Notes

  1. ^ The status of the Crimea and of the city of Sevastopol is currently under dispute between Russia and Ukraine; Ukraine and the majority of the international community consider the Crimea to be an autonomous republic of Ukraine and Sevastopol to be one of Ukraine's cities with special status, while Russia, on the other hand, considers the Crimea to be a federal subject of Russia and Sevastopol to be one of Russia's three federal cities.[5][3]

References

  1. ^ a b Tsushko to compete for post of Odesa mayor, Interfax-Ukraine (29 March 2014)
  2. ^ a b Parliament sets elections for Kyiv mayor and Kyiv City Council deputies for May 25, Interfax-Ukraine (25 February 2014)
  3. ^ a b Ukraine crisis timeline, BBC News
  4. ^ EU & Ukraine 17 April 2014 FACT SHEET, European External Action Service (17 April 2014)
  5. ^ Gutterman, Steve (18 March 2014). "Putin signs Crimea treaty, will not seize other Ukraine regions". Reuters.com. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  6. ^ (in Ukrainian) Council appointed 10 election of mayors, Ukrainska Pravda (17 June 2014)
  7. ^ "Rada passed a law about the local elections". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 8 April 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  8. ^ "Rada made the elections of mayors of big cities into two rounds". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 10 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  9. ^ "Rada announces early elections to over 200 localities". Capital.ua (in Russian). 15 March 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Rada announces early elections for mayors". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 15 March 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  11. ^ Laws of Ukraine. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine No. 1130-VII: On the announcement of early elections of the deputies of the Cherkasy City Council (City of Cherkasy, Cherkasy Oblast). Adopted on 17 March 2014. (Ukrainian)
  12. ^ "Rada announced elections for 10 mayors". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 25 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  13. ^ Klitschko officially announced as winner of Kyiv mayor election, Interfax-Ukraine (4 June 2014)
  14. ^ (in Ukrainian) In Kyivrada are 9 parties - official results, Ukrainska Pravda (3 June 2014)
    (in Ukrainian) 60% of the new Kyivrada is filled by UDAR, Ukrainska Pravda (4 June 2014)
  15. ^ (in Ukrainian) UDAR has 75% of the constituencies in Kyivrada, Ukrainska Pravda (3 June 2014)
    (in Ukrainian) 60% of the new Kyivrada is filled by UDAR, Ukrainska Pravda (4 June 2014)
  16. ^ "Odessa mayor takes oath under heavy guard". TASS.
  17. ^ "Acting mayors of Mykolaiv and Kherson win mayoral elections in cities - May. 28, 2014". Kyiv Post. May 28, 2014.
  18. ^ "Ukraine Post Election Recap by Brian Mefford". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  19. ^ "Acting mayors of Mykolaiv and Kherson win mayoral elections in cities".
  20. ^ "Мером Херсону офіційно стала людина, що не допустила сепаратизму у місті і втерла носа Жириновському | Експрес - онлайн". expres.ua. Archived from the original on 2014-05-29.
  21. ^ "Results of Mayoral Election in Sumy were announced: Oleksandr Lysenko has won - ОПОРА - Громадянська мережа - Вибори Президента 2014 - Выборы в Украине - Election in Ukraine". Archived from the original on 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  22. ^ "Суми обрали собі мером представника "Батьківщини"".
  23. ^ (in Ukrainian) CEC dispersed Cherkasy TEC because it violated the law, Ukrainska Pravda (4 June 2014)
  24. ^ "Мэром Пятихаток Днепропетровской области стал коммунист Демьянчук". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-06-25.