Polls are closed in Ukraine

[Duckhunter935]

looks like around 40% turnout and mostly free and fair so far. A few fake bomb threats, a car shot up, voters and poll workers threatened in the east. I hope the international observers report concurs that the election was free and fair.

Now Ukraine will have a democratically elected President and Parliament, just as promised after the former President fled the country with help from Russia.

The break away pro-Russians will have a vote next week. Lets hope they also will have international observers present and what will the turnout be? 95%, 100%, 110%

[Duckhunter935]

1. Right Sector less tha 5%

fails to make the cut. Svoboda may just be above 5%.

The Bloc of Petro Poroshenko, Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s People’s Front, party of Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovy Samopomich, Opposition Bloc, Oleh Lyashko’s Radical Party, Yulia Tymoshenko’s Batkivshchyna and nationalists Svoboda get into the parliament according to the results of exit polls.

Those that did not make it to Verkhovna Rada are Civil Position party, headed by former defense minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko, and, surprisingly, Sergiy Tigipko’s Strong Ukraine.

For the first time in 23 years of independent Ukraine’s history, Communist Party is also out, which makes it historical elections for the young democratic state. Communists, however, may still have few deputies elected in single mandate constituencies.

National exit poll

Bloc of Petro Poroshenko – 23 percent;

Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s People’s Front – 21.3 percent;

Samopomich – 13.2 percent;

Opposition Bloc – 7.6 percent;

Oleh Lyashko’s Radical Party – 6.4 percent;

Svoboda – 6.3 percent;

Yulia Tymoshenko’s Batkivshchyna – 5.6 percent;

Civil Position – 3.5 percent;

Communist Party - 2.9 percent;

Serhiy Tigipko’s Strong Ukraine – 2.6 percent.

International exit poll

Bloc of Petro Poroshenko – 22.2 percent;

Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s People’s Front – 21.8 percent;

Samopomich – 14.2 percent;

Opposition Bloc – 7.8 percent;

Oleh Lyashko’s Radical Party – 6.4 percent;

Svoboda – 5.8 percent;

Yulia Tymoshenko’s Batkivshchyna – 5.6 percent.

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/exit-polls-seven-parties-get-into-the-parliament-updating-369499.html

[Igel]

2. ComParty's exclusion not a surprise.

You can't read any of the rhetoric coming out of the LNR without seeing neo-Stalinist turns of phrase, attitudes, actions. Along the way most of the ComParty delegates went whole-hog LNR. It's their big chance for power again, except they have to share it with the ultra-nationalists. Since "fascist" usually means a merger of "anti-communist" and "anti-Russian" and the ultra-nationalists are all pro-Russian, albeit a mix of monarchists and pro-Soviet types, they get along well enough.

Also, no wonder the Russian CP is so strongly behind it.

It means, however, that the rest of Ukraine looks at the ComParty as being behind anti-Ukraine hatred, wannabe genocides, and responsible for a lot of economic hardship, death, and destruction. (Which, oddly enough, is what the CP USSR was responsible for. Leopard, meet spots. Unchanged.)

Surprised Lyashko got so much. Poroshenko, pacifist; Yatseniuk, maidanovtsy.

Don't know much about Self-Help (Samopomich).

[Duckhunter935]

3. Lets see how the elections are held in the DNR, LNR regions in November

I am sure there will be many international observers to monitor. Probably 150% turnout.

Will be very interesting to see how the new Rada works out. I wish them well. Seems like the fringe groups are just that and received little in the vote count.