2008 Kyiv local election

Candidates, parties, and blocs

In all, seventy-nine candidates were registered by the Kyiv Territorial Electoral Commission for the upcoming mayoral election. Candidates from some of the main political parties included:

• the incumbent Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi, from the Christian Liberal Party of Ukraine. He was facing allegations of corruption and illegal privatization of Kyiv territories,
• Vitaliy Klychko, a politician in the Kyiv City Council and former heavyweight boxer,
• Oleh Tyahnybok, from the All-Ukrainian Union "Freedom",
• Vladyslav Kaskyv, from the Civil Party "PORA";
• Vice-Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov, from the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc;
• Vasyl Horbal, from the Party of Regions;

A total of 37 parties and blocs participated in the Kyiv City Council election. These included both national (e.g. Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, Our Ukraine) and local political parties (e.g. Leonid Chernovetskyi Bloc).

Opinion polling

According to a telephone poll conducted prior to the election by the Razumkov Centre, 25.2% of the respondents said they would support Vitaliy Klychko for the position of mayor, 24.9% support Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi, 10% support the former city mayor Oleksandr Omelchenko, 6% support current Vice-Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov, and 5.4% said they support the Minister of Internal Affairs Yuriy Lutsenko.

A different poll conducted by the Center of Political and Marketing Studies Sotsis, showed that 22.8% of the respondents support the incumbent mayor, 22% support Vitaliy Klychko, 11.5% support Oleksandr Omelchenko, 6.3% support Verkhovna Rada Deputy Mykola Tomenko, and 5.7% support Yuriy Lutsenko.

Results

Mayoral election

City Council election

Aftermath

Calls for another snap election

On 12 December 2008 Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced at a news briefing that she was confident that early mayoral elections would be held again in Kyiv. Day before, the Kyivenerho utility company began cutting the supply of hot water to about 5,000 homes in Kyivbecause of the Kyiv State City Administration's failure to compensate the company for the difference between the tariffs charged by Kyivenerho and the actual cost of its services. Following the event, Tymoshenko accused Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi of using money from the local budget to finance his election campaign.

On 6 February 2009, the Vitali Klitschko Bloc stated it will apply to the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers, the National Security and Defense Council and the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office with a request to take into consideration the unlawfulness of Chernovetskyi's actions and to call another snap mayoral elections in the city.

In the January of 2010 Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn stated he started preparing a law draft to conduct an early mayoral election in Kyiv on 30 May 2010, alongside city council election. Lytvyn said that he "could not stand what was going on in Kyiv any longer" and that his own Lytvyn Bloc would take part in the election. A resolution setting another snap election in the capital city for the 30 May 2010 was registered in the Verkhovna Rada on 18 January, but was never included in the agenda, being later withdrawn on 16 February.

After then-incumbent Mayor Chernovetskyi had tendered his resignation on 1 June 2012, a petition to the parliament calling to hold an early mayoral election in the city was initiated. Although, it looked that the next Kyiv local election was set for 2012 nevertheless; However, by the January 2013 the Verkhovna Rada had set no date for these elections. Legally they had to take place in 2013, but in May 2013 the Constitutional Court of Ukraine has set the date of the election to 25 October 2015.

Eventually, regular elections for the position of Mayor and 120-seats Kyiv City Council took place on 25 May 2014 as a part of the nationwide 2014 local elections.

Faction changes since the elections

Severe changes occurred in the Kyiv City Council following 2008. By the September 2011, seven new factions had been created (2 of which included just 2 deputies, and another one had only 3 deputies). The winning bloc of the 2008 election, Leonid Chernovetskyi Bloc, disbanded itself on September 22, 2011, with all of its deputies later becoming non-partisan deputies in the city council. Such move has made UDAR (Vitali Klitschko Bloc until April 2011) the biggest faction with 12 deputies (3 deputies less compared to 2008 result), followed by the Party of Regions faction with 10 deputies (4 deputies more). Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc saw 22 deputies leaving the faction since the election.

In January 2013 the UDAR faction consisted of 13 deputies, while the Party of Regions faction had fallen down to 8 deputies. This made the People's Party faction the second biggest with 11 deputies. The Democratic Party of Ukraine faction contained 10 deputies. Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc had lost 1 more deputy and stood at the total of 9 deputies. Same as factions "Social Justice" and "Initiative". "Social Justice", "Initiative" and the faction of the Democratic Party of Ukraine were created in 2011. In June 2013 the People's Party faction contained 4 people. The other factions membership had stayed stable.

Following the 2008 election results, Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT), Oleksandr Turchynov (BYuT), Mykola Tomenko (BYuT), Mykola Katerynchuk (BMK), Anatoliy Khostykoyev (BYuT), Stepan Chernovetskyi (BLCh) and Tetiana Donets (BYuT), gave up their seats due to the dual mandate rule. The next person in the party list becomes the city council deputy, when someone gives up their seat.

Notes

References

References

1. (March 18, 2008). "The Verkhovna Rada designated early elections to the Mayor of Kyiv". [[Korrespondent]].
2. (March 21, 2008). "The election campaign in Kyiv will begin on the 26th of March". [[Korrespondent]].
3. (June 2, 2008). "Klychko To Continue His Political Career In Ukraine". Ukrainian News.
4. "Черновецькому нарахували перемогу, "Наша Україна" ледь обігнала "регіони"".
5. (May 26, 2008). "Almost half of Kyiv residents neglected mayor election". [[UNIAN]].
6. (May 26, 2008). "KEC: Elections in Kyiv were clear and fair". [[Korrespondent]].
7. (April 23, 2008). "The end of registration of candidates for the post of Mayor of Kyiv". [[Korrespondent]].
8. (March 18, 2008). "Parliament votes for ouster of Kiev mayor". Ukrainian Journal.
9. (March 23, 2008). "Tyagnibok goes for the Mayor of Kyiv". [[Korrespondent]].
10. (March 22, 2008). "Kyiv city organization VO "Svoboda" conducted an early party conference". [[All-Ukrainian Union "Freedom"]].
11. (April 6, 2008). "Kaskyv is moved into the candidates for mayor". [[Korrespondent]].
12. (May 22, 2008). "Tymoshenko and Lutsenko announced Turchynov the only candidate from the coalition". [[Korrespondent]].
13. (April 12, 2008). "Kaskyv is moved into the candidates for mayor". [[Korrespondent]].
14. (March 21, 2008). "Poll: Klichko is winning on the elections of the Mayor of Kyiv". [[Korrespondent]].
15. (March 20, 2008). "Sotsis: Chernovetsky passes Klichko by 0.8%". [[Korrespondent]].
16. (30 May 2008). "Офіційне повідомлення Київської міської територіальної виборчої комісії про результати голосування, підсумки виборів та обраного Київського міського голову". Central Election Commission.
17. (30 May 2008). "Офіційне повідомлення Київської міської територіальної виборчої комісії про результати голосування, список обраних депутатів Київської міської ради". Central Election Commission.
18. [http://www.ukranews.com/eng/article/168755.html Tymoshenko Confident That Early Mayoral Elections Will Be Repeated In Kyiv] {{webarchive. link. (2009-08-20 , Ukrainian News Agency (December 12, 2008))
19. [http://www.ukranews.com/eng/article/168745.html Cabinet Of Ministers To Consider Problems Arising In Kyiv] {{webarchive. link. (2009-08-20 , [[Ukrainian News Agency]] (December 12, 2008))
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21. [http://www.kyivpost.com/news/city/detail/56541/ Lytvyn wants early mayoral elections], [[Kyiv Post]] (January 7, 2010)
22. [http://www.unian.net/eng/news/news-356148.html Lytvyn believes that today there are enough grounds for early election of Kyiv Mayor and Kyiv Council], [[UNIAN]] (January 11, 2010)
23. [http://www.kyivpost.com/news/city/detail/57381/ Draft resolution to oust Kyiv mayor registered in parliament], [[Kyiv Post]] (January 18, 2010)
24. [http://www.kyivpost.com/news/city/detail/59639/ Ukrainian parliament cancels mayor's election date of May 30], [[Kyiv Post]] (February 16, 2010)
25. [http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv/hereha-sends-petition-to-parliament-on-holding-of--310160.html Hereha sends petition to parliament on holding of early mayoral election in Kyiv], [[Kyiv Post]] (19 July 2012)
26. [http://www.kyivpost.com/news/city/detail/90367/ Party of Regions leader: 'Pre-term mayoral elections in Kyiv are pointless'], [[Kyiv Post]] (November 18, 2011)
27. [http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv/lytvyn-date-for-mayoral-election-in-kyiv-to-be-determined-after-parliamentary-elections-312198.html Lytvyn: Date for mayoral election in Kyiv to be determined after parliamentary elections], [[Kyiv Post]] (29 August 2012)
    [http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv/speaker-elections-in-kyiv-may-be-held-in-spring-of-2013-316648.html Speaker: Elections in Kyiv may be held in spring of 2013], [[Kyiv Post]] (24 November 2012)
    [http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv/klitschko-party-proposes-holding-mayoral-election-in-kyiv-on-june-3-317550.html Klitschko party proposes holding mayoral election in Kyiv on June 3], [[Kyiv Post]] (13 December 2012)
28. [http://www.interfax.co.uk/ukraine-news/cec-member-kyiv-city-council-to-be-elected-for-five-years-in-upcoming-election/ CEC member: Kyiv City Council to be elected for five years in upcoming election], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (16 February 2013)
29. [http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv/rada-suggests-to-hold-elections-of-kyiv-mayor-city-council-on-june-2-321408.html Rada suggests to hold elections of Kyiv mayor, city council on June 2], [[Kyiv Post]] (7 March 2013)
30. [http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/155007.html Local elections in Kyiv should be held in 2015, according to Constitutional Court], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (30 May 2013)
    [http://www.euronews.com/2013/05/31/ukraine-court-ruling-on-kiev-mayor-election-pro-government/ Ukraine court ruling on Kiev mayor election ‘pro-government'] {{Webarchive. link. (2013-07-19 , [[Euronews]] (31 May 2013))
31. [http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/192688.html Parliament sets elections for Kyiv mayor and Kyiv City Council deputies for May 25], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (25 February 2014)
32. {{in lang. uk [http://www.kmr.gov.ua/faction.asp Голови депутатських фракцій та груп Київради VI скликання] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-09-25, [[Kyiv City Council]])
33. [http://www.unian.net/eng/news/news-458264.html Faction of Chernovetksyi's Bloc stopped its existence], [[UNIAN]] (September 23, 2011)
34. [http://www.kyivpost.com/news/city/detail/113318/ Chernovetsky Bloc in Kyiv City Council disbanded], [[Kyiv Post]] (September 22, 2011)
35. {{in lang. uk[http://www.rbc.ua/ukr/online/o530 Онлайн-конференція з лідером громадської організації "Соціальна справедливість", кандидатом в депутати ВР Аллою Шлапак] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-12-20, [[RBC Ukraine]] (23 August 2012))
36. {{in lang. uk[http://www.rbc.ua/ukr/newsline/show/v-kievsovete-sozdana-deputatskaya-fraktsiya-demokraticheskaya-10112011103200 У Київраді створена депутатська фракція "Демократична партія України"], [[RBC Ukraine]] (10 November 2011)
37. [http://www.rbc.ua/ukr/top/show/v-kievsovete-sozdany-tri-novye-fraktsii-25052011115300 У Київраді створено три нові фракції], [[RBC Ukraine]] (25 May 2011)
38. [http://www.rbc.ua/ukr/newsline/show/v-kievsovete-sozdany-dve-novye-fraktsii---deputatskaya-gruppa-23062011105500 У Київраді створено дві нові фракції - депутатська група "Соціальна справедливість" і фракція "Спортивний Київ", - Герега], [[RBC Ukraine]] (23 June 2011)
39. {{in lang. uk [http://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2012/11/11/6977259/ Список депутатів нової Верховної Ради], [[Ukrayinska Pravda]] (11 November 2012)
40. [http://ukrainianweek.com/Politics/58995 They Call Themselves the Opposition], [[The Ukrainian Week]] (31 August 2012)
41. {{in lang. uk [http://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2012/08/10/6970582/ Тетяна Донець: Я не хрещениця Лазаренка, але мій тато хрестив його доньку], [[Ukrayinska Pravda]] (10 Augustus 2012)
42. [http://www.kyivpost.com/news/city/detail/55678/ Mayor's son to give up his seat in city council], [[Kyiv Post]] (December 22, 2009)