Monday
16 march 2009
19:02
Results of Ternopil elections to force BYUT and Regions to alter Constitution
Some Ukrainian political parties definitely won’t recognize the stunning results of local elections in Ternopil, setting a sad precedent. In the same way, a runner-up in the presidential election won’t recognize the tally, bringing the country to the verge of a rift. One of the way-outs can be electing the president in Verkhovna Rada, not by the direct vote of the people, Center for Political Research in Kyiv, Mykhailo Pohrebinsky told ZIK March 16.The expert believes the results shown by Yedyny Tsentr and Party of Regions are absolutely stunning and are evidence of massive fraud.
If the results of the presidential election are not recognized by the other half of Ukraine, it will lead to a deep divide. Everything should be done now to avert it.
“I am convinced that holding the election of a president in the Verkhovna Rada (not the best scenario) would be the right decision – if it prevents the divide of Ukraine,” Pohrebinsky said.
The Ternopil elections results will now spur BYUT and PR into altering the Constitution. This may happen in a very near future, he adds. The problem is how to explain the constitutional changes to the people. Ukrainians are unlikely to give up their right to vote easily, M. Pohrebinsky went on.
The expert commented on the PR’s astonishingly high 10% tally. Now the PR may think that, given their successful showing in Western Ukraine, there won’t be any problems for them to win the presidential vote. “I think, they realize that the voting in Ternopil was fixed,” Pohrebinsky concluded.
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zmolo.com
The current system of two round voting has many draw backs not the least being the costs associated with electing a head of state.
The United States does not directly elected its head of state. It elects an electoral college which in turn appoints its President. the US system is further distorted by the fact that the College is made up by non representative delegates where less then 50% of the state determine 100% of the states representation.
If Ukraine, as it should, adopts a European Parliamentary system of governance then the appointment of its head of state by a constitutional majority of 2/3rds of the Parliament would represent a greater proportion of Ukrainians then the current system.