10:42
25.5.2014
10:36
25.5.2014
From the "Kyiv Post":
Andriy Magera, deputy head of the Central Election Commission, said there were long lines in Kyiv's polling stations because each of the voters is getting four ballots for three different elections – the presidential election, the mayoral election and two ballots for the city council election. He wrote on his Facebook page that, combined with lack of experience of officials at polling stations, that has complicated the voting process.
Andriy Magera, deputy head of the Central Election Commission, said there were long lines in Kyiv's polling stations because each of the voters is getting four ballots for three different elections – the presidential election, the mayoral election and two ballots for the city council election. He wrote on his Facebook page that, combined with lack of experience of officials at polling stations, that has complicated the voting process.
10:30
25.5.2014
Just a reminder: Voting will run for 12 hours until 1900 CET. Exit polls shortly thereafter should give a good indication of the result, although official preliminary results are not expected until May 26.
10:15
25.5.2014
Whether those Donetsk polling stations will stay open, though, is another question:
10:14
25.5.2014
Also from Interfax, there are actually a fair few polling stations open in Donetsk:
KYIV. May 25 (Interfax) - As at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday voting in
Ukraine's extraordinary presidential started at least at 308 out of
2,430 polling stations in Donetsk region, a temporary website of the
Donetsk regional administration DonPress reports.
Information collection about the operation of polling station continues.
Ukraine's extraordinary presidential started at least at 308 out of
2,430 polling stations in Donetsk region, a temporary website of the
Donetsk regional administration DonPress reports.
Information collection about the operation of polling station continues.
10:12
25.5.2014
Interfax is reporting that Ukraine's Central Election Commission was the victim of hacking a few days ago:
Chairman of Ukraine's Central Election Commission (CEC) Mykhaylo Okhendovsky has confirmed that there was a hacker attack on the CEC computer system on May 22.
"The technical irregularities that were identified in the operation Elections system on May 22 were caused by a computer program, quite sophisticated, so sophisticated that it definitely could not have been developed by one person," he said at a briefing on Saturday.
He stressed that the functionality of the system was restored on the following day.
"The technical irregularities that were identified in the operation Elections system on May 22 were caused by a computer program, quite sophisticated, so sophisticated that it definitely could not have been developed by one person," he said at a briefing on Saturday.
He stressed that the functionality of the system was restored on the following day.
10:10
25.5.2014
The agencies are reporting a high turnout in Kyiv. This from Reuters:
Early signs pointed to a high turnout in sunny weather in an election where the main candidates, including front-runner Petro Poroshenko, a confectionery magnate, are promising closer ties with the West in defiance of Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
But the absence of over 15 percent of the electorate, in Russian-annexed Crimea and two eastern regions where fighting with pro-Moscow rebels continued on Saturday, may mar any result - and leave the Kremlin questioning the victor's legitimacy, for all Putin's new pledge to respect the people's will.
Voting began in most of Ukraine at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) and will end 12 hours later, when exit polls will indicate a result ahead of an official outcome on Monday.
Only about 20 percent of the polling stations in the heavily industrialised, Russian-speaking Donetsk region, which has 3.3 million registered voters, were working as of 9:30 a.m. (0630 GMT), authorities said. None were open in the city of Donetsk.
But the absence of over 15 percent of the electorate, in Russian-annexed Crimea and two eastern regions where fighting with pro-Moscow rebels continued on Saturday, may mar any result - and leave the Kremlin questioning the victor's legitimacy, for all Putin's new pledge to respect the people's will.
Voting began in most of Ukraine at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) and will end 12 hours later, when exit polls will indicate a result ahead of an official outcome on Monday.
Only about 20 percent of the polling stations in the heavily industrialised, Russian-speaking Donetsk region, which has 3.3 million registered voters, were working as of 9:30 a.m. (0630 GMT), authorities said. None were open in the city of Donetsk.
10:04
25.5.2014
Meanwhile...
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is scheduled to start a two-day trip to Crimea, as Ukrainians are voting in presidential elections.
Medvedev is to visit on May 25 immigration offices in the city of Sevastopol where Russian passports are being issued to local residents.
Medvedev’s office said he will also visit the Artek children's center on the Black Sea on May 26.
It will be Medvedev's second trip to Crimea since Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula in March.
President Vladimir Putin attended Victory Day celebrations earlier this month in the region.
Medvedev is to visit on May 25 immigration offices in the city of Sevastopol where Russian passports are being issued to local residents.
Medvedev’s office said he will also visit the Artek children's center on the Black Sea on May 26.
It will be Medvedev's second trip to Crimea since Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula in March.
President Vladimir Putin attended Victory Day celebrations earlier this month in the region.
10:02
25.5.2014
The "Kyiv Post" is reporting about a confrontation between the Ukrainian Army and separatists in Donetsk:
"On the road from Krasnoarmiisk to Donetsk in Donetsk Oblast: Five Ukrainian armored personnel carriers with some 15 troops are closing in on Kremlin-backed armed rebels at the Karlivka checkpoint. They are dangerously close to each other now."
09:46
25.5.2014