1. Procedures regulating access of media representatives to the public events, meetings of the election commissions and polling stations

Unimpeded access of media representatives to the public events related to the elections of the President of Ukraine, is guaranteed by Part 4 of Article 13 of the Law of Ukraine “On the elections of the President of Ukraine”; at the same time, unimpeded access of media representatives to the meetings of election commissions, as well as to polling stations on the elections day and on the day of the second vote is guaranteed by Part 9 of Article 28 of the abovementioned Law.

In particular, media representatives (no more than two persons from one media) have the right to be present without permission or invitation of the respective commissions at the meetings of the elections commission including during the time of votes counting and establishing the results of the voting, at a polling station on the day of elections or on the day of the second vote in the premises, where the voting takes place. There are no time limits for media representatives’ presence at a polling station.

For coverage of the electoral process at polling stations media representatives must produce their media ID upon request of the election commission members. As the diplomatic and other official missions and consular offices of Ukraine abroad, as well as military units (formations), deployed abroad, wherein according to Part 5 of Article 20 of the mentioned Law foreign polling stations are established, are considered regime objects, for unimpeded access to such missions and offices journalists should notify officials, responsible for security of the mentioned establishments, about their intention to visit a polling station in advance.

Photo and video shooting is prohibited only in a pooling booth for voting by secret ballot as the presence of other persons, other than a voter himself, during filling in the ballots is prohibited, except for a case when a voter who cannot fill in a ballot by himself/herself because of disabilities, has the right with the consent of a head or other member of the local election commission  to use the help of another voter, except for the members of the election commission, candidates for the post of the President of Ukraine, their trustees, official observers.

According to Para 1, Part 2 of Article 11 of the Law, the election process is held on the basis of legality and prohibition of illegal interference of anyone into this process. Nobody has a right to intervene into the activity of the election commissions, including media representatives, except for cases, stipulated by the law (Part 17 of Article 28 of the Law).

According to Part 11 of Article 28 of the Law of Ukraine “On the elections of the President of Ukraine” the election commission can adopt a motivated decision on deprivation of media representatives to be present at the meeting, if they illegally prevent its holding.

2. Procedure of receiving information

To receive information of any character, including the one on the course of voting, it is necessary to refer directly to the respective local election commission, in particular, to its head or his/her deputy.

Organization and having an interview with members of the local election commissions are conducted individually, by agreement of parties, according to the current legislation.

3. Procedure of accreditation of media representatives at the Central Election Commission

Media representatives, including technical staff, should be accredited to the events in the Central election commission of Ukraine. Accreditation has already started and will continue till May 10, 2014.

Permanent accreditation (for the whole period of the preparation of conducting early elections of the President of Ukraine) can received through sending to the Chairman of the Central Election Commission M.Okhendovskyi a letter, signed by media executive requesting to accredit media representatives to the events held by the Central Election Commission. The letter, certified by the seal, should contain information as follows: name of the media, surname, name, patronymic name and position of a media representative. Letters should be sent to a mailing address as follows: 01196, Kyiv, Lesya Ukrayinka sqr., 1;

e-mail: [email protected] and [email protected], fax: +38 044 286 83 80.

For accreditation for an individual event it I snecessary to call Ms. Olena Tereshchuk and Mr. Volodymyr Vyrva at: +38 044 256 82 80 or +38 044 286 80 71.

To bring equipment to a press-center of the Central Election Commission the applications should be sent till May 16, 2014, to the Central Election Commission with a list of equipment to be used.

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