My thanks to SOLACE and FCO for selecting me as a UK observer to the OSCE-ODIHR Election Observation Mission, to the Presidential elections of 31 March (first round) and the run-off on 21 April between the two highest-voted candidates.
The incumbent President, Petro Poroshenko, was defeated by the political newcomer Volodymyr Zelenskyi, who won overwhelmingly with around 73% of the vote.
This has been my 5th election observation mission to Ukraine. On this occasion I have been in Ukraine from early February until the beginning of May, mostly stationed in Zhytomyr oblast to the west of the capital.
My thanks to SOLACE and FCO for selecting me as a UK observer to the OSCE-ODIHR Election Observation Mission, to the early Presidential and Parliamentary elections of 24 June (link here to OSCE-ODIHR Final Report [PDF format], published on 21 September, 2018).
Istanbul-Sultangazi team Andy (UK), driver Berivan, interpreter Burak, and Marc (Netherlands). A jolly little team.
ISTANBUL
Sultangazi District (no.24 on the map below, above the letter “U” of Istanbul) is a vibrant, densely populated, multi-ethnic district on the ‘European’ side of Istanbul.
ELECTION DAY in SULTANGAZI
Preparations by staff of the Sultangazi District Election Commission, Istanbul
Soon the local Polling Station officials will come here, to the Sultangazi District distribution centre (based at the local sports centre), to collect a bag containing their working documents, stamps, etc, from the staff of the Sultangazi District Election Commission
The Chairman of the Sultangazi District Election Commission leads a training session for the staff who will spend the night processing the ballot papers and other documents arriving from local Polling Stations.
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Observing the Vote
A severely disabled citizen is brought to the Polling Station by ambulance, in order for someone to ‘vote on her behalf’ – one of around 150 such cases we recorded at this PS
The voter doubles as a table for the person voting on her behalf
Outside the Polling Station, a man is tasked with beating our car with his walking stick
… and returning to photograph the car registration number, as well as whipping the car again with his walking-stick while running behind us
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Observing the Tabulation process at Sultangazi District Sports Centre
Polling Station officials file into the District level tabulation centre that will spend the night checking that each PS’s paperwork and ballots are in order, before entering each PS result into a central database
The many bags of counted ballot papers and other documents in the background indicate that more than half of the local Polling Stations have reported to the Sultangazi District centre. The process is overseen by a judge (female judge, black jacket, in the foreground), who deals with queries and complaints on the spot.
It had been fourteen years since my previous visit to Russia. Much had changed; much had stayed the same. In particular, the 2018 World Cup was about to take place, and the Moscow and Samara business, tourism, travel and hospitality industries had been trained up and were ready, willing and able to serve.
This was my third time in Uzbekistan as an observer with an OSCE-ODIHR Election Observation Mission. On previous occasions I was a Long Term Observer in 2014 (based in Samarkand) and in 2015 (based in Karakalpakstan).
Tamerlane (Timur the Lame, owing to a leg injury), central Tashkent
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This time I was a Short Term Observer, deployed with my team-mate, Zhandos (Kazakhstan), to our base in Termez on the border with Afghanistan, .
TERMEZ, SURXONDARYO DISTRICT
Termez and surrounding areas, bordering Afghanistan
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BOYSUN
Mostly we observed preparations and voting in towns and villages in the Boysun area, the mountainous area to the north of Termez (at heights where oxygen was in lower supply than usual, mostly diminishing muscle strength while walking uphill, and making the lungs and work faster and deeper).
A hollowed-out tree used as a shelter, a school, and a place for prayer
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Zhandos outside a hollowed-out tree used as a shelter, a school, and a place for prayer
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A hollowed-out tree used as a shelter, a school, and a place for prayer
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A hollowed-out tree used as a shelter, a school, and a place for prayer
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A hollowed-out tree used as a shelter, a school, and a place for prayer
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A hollowed-out tree used as a shelter, a school, and a place for prayer
I am grateful to SOLACE and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office for selecting me once again as a UK-seconded Long Term Observer (LTO) to observe elections in Moldova.
This was my fifth time in Moldova as an observer with an OSCE-ODIHR Election Observation Mission. On previous occasions I have been Short Term Observer in 2007 (1st round in Stefan Voda & 2nd round in Cahul), and Long Term Observer in 2009 (for Chisinau city) and 2010 (for Cahul and Leova).
This time there were two rounds, the first round being held on Sunday 30 November, and then the second round runoff being held on Sunday 13 November, between candidates Maia Sandu and Igor Dodon.
Inge & Andy inspect the daily transport. Our Driver, Vasile Buttons, and Assistant, Stefanderella, were still inside at the ball.
Accompanied by my LTO team-mate Inge (Denmark), Assistant/Driver Vasile, and Assistant/Interpreter Stefan, I was based in the capital, Chisinau. We drove out daily to observe four large electoral districts surrounding Chisinau. One district required crossing the Nistru River by ferry, to reach election officials at their Polling Stations on the east bank.
Morning has broken, and our driver and interpreter are absent, leaving shoes behind. So, we have absentee voters, and a carousel… very interesting… If the shoe fits…
For the Second Round, in addition to the four ‘raions’, my team was given responsibility for the capital, Chisinau, which contains approx. 20% of the national electorate. Chisinau is divided into five politico-administrative ‘preturas’ (sectors) and several suburbs, containing a total of 312 PS, all overseen by only one DEC.
STAROBILSK (Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine) – my base for 6 weeks
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Flowers of Starobilsk
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Starobilsk Palace of Culture
Shevchenko
Exhibition of schoolchildren drawings at Starobilsk Palace of Culture – ‘MIR’ (‘PEACE’)
MIR…
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SLAVYANSK / SLOVYANSK
Entering Slavyansk from the east at Semenivka, across the river Kozenyi Torets by pontoon bridge, with a view across to the destroyed Semenivka bridge
Sunset over Sloviansk, Donbass, eastern Ukraine (bridge at Semenivka, over Kozenyi Torets river)
Empty sky over Sloviansk, Donbass, eastern Ukraine (bridge at Semenivka, over Kozenyi Torets river)
Below, the House of Culture at Semenivka took a hammering at the beginning of the conflict.
Tragedy at the House of Culture, Semenivka, Donbass, eastern Ukraine. Once it rang with music and singing.
This psychiatric hospital suffered terrible damage at the beginning of the conflict – the area saw the first, and heavy, fighting and destruction. The patients were sent away when the fighters took over and dug in at the hospital.
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ELECTION DAY
Shevchenko watches over the voting in Starobilsk
The Happy Voter of Starobilsk
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2nd ROUND OF ELECTIONS
Heading from LUHANSK to KHERSON, via car to BONBASS, train to KYIV, flight to ODESSA, car to KHERSON
ODESSA (southwest Ukraine)
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KHERSON (southwest Ukraine)
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Karen (Canada) & Andy (UK) = new team in Kherson for three weeks
The Incumbent Mayor, Volodomir Mikolaenko, in the run-off 2nd round of the Mayoral election
The Challenger, Vladislav Manger, in the run-off 2nd round of the Mayoral election
Polling Station being set up, days before the election
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Kherson election commission, with representatives of political parties and candidates
Head of District election commission
Election commission receives packages of election documents from Kiev
Polling Station at Fishers
The Polling Station in the college with magnificent windows, showing what they teach…
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Election is over – winding down in Kherson with the team of international observers who joined us for the election weekend
On this occasion, I had the continuing good fortune to be based in the city of Nukus, the capital of (the Autonomous Republic of) Karakalpakstan – for anyone without a map to hand, that’s the part of the country that hosts the Aral Sea (what’s left of it). The territory of Karakalpakstan alone makes up approx. 40% of Uzbekistan – that’s one of the reasons that Karakalpakstan has its own parliament and autonomous powers, but there are other historical, political, ethnic and language reasons.
This time, I was accompanied by my new team-mate Irina (Russia), who graciously helped me to improve my Russian… which I can now speak quite ‘ploha’, also known as ‘nemnoga’ 🙂
Irina and Andy, guests at official celebrations marking ‘Nauruz’ (Central Asia New Year).
From Nukus, with Interpreter Kuuat, and Driver Rashid, for five weeks we covered the main highways, and many of the lesser byways of Karakalpakstan. We also covered the smaller, or should I say ‘compact’, region of Khorezm, that is on the southeast boundary of Karakalpakstan.
KARAKALPAKSTAN
Karakalpakstan is best known for having the bottom half of the Aral Sea on its territory. Unfortunately, the Aral Sea is now one of the world’s environmental disaster spots. The main symptom is that the Aral Sea has been drying up due to water being diverted from its main feeder river, the Amu Darya, mainly for cotton production upstream.
Karakalpakstan
NUKUS
Nukus is the capital of Karakalpakstan. Famously, it has nothing going for it as far as tourism is concerned, except for the world-famous Savitsky Museum. Amongst others, The Guardian and The New York Times (“One of the most remarkable collections of 20th century Russian art”) have published positive write-ups about the museum.
We were fortunate to discover that Marinika Babanazarova, the Director of the Museum, is also the Karakalpak member of the Uzbekistan Central Election Commission. Following our first meeting in her office, she insisted on giving us a personal guided tour of the 3% of the collection on show in the massive museum – the other 97% either comes out in rotation in Nukus, or is loaned out internationally for exhibitions, or never sees the light of day. Fortunately, the new extension buildings will triple the local capacity of the Nukus museaum.
There is a desirable film documentary about the museum, “The Desert of Forbidden Art”, voiced by Ben Kingsley, Sally Field and Ed Asner.
ARAL SEA
Really, it’s an inland lake, according to my Primary School teacher – a very, very big lake, but not a real sea (argue with my teacher, not with me!).
Towns that formerly were ports on the Aral Sea, are now 50-100km from the receding coastline. Moynak, for example…
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… with its Ship Cemetery:
VIDEO:
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KHOREZM
On the southeast boundary of Karakalpakstan region is the region of Khorezm. The modern capital, Urgench, is the gateway to the historic walled town of Khiva.
Khorezm has its own interesting history, and a few historical sights that we took in on the way – not least was the old walled town of Khiva, formerly one of the staging posts of the Silk Route, with its own dark history of trading in slaves as well as silk, etc.
KHIVA
Khiva – map of the old walled town
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Khiva skyline
Khiva skyline
VIDEO:
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Music and dance while we dine, courtesy of our host, the Mayor of Khiva
VIDEO (music and dance, Khiva style)…
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KHOREZM MATHEMATICIANS
Khorezm region has produced some big names in mathematics, astronomy, geography and so much more, including
Khorazmiy is named after the region of Khorezm; the town of Beruniy is named after Beruniy.
Thinking back to Election Day on 29th March, when the Voting had finished and the Counting took place in the Polling Stations, I have to wonder what these two Khorezm local lads from way back would have made of the counting skills and short-cut methodology of some of the modern election officials.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2015
8th of March, International Women’s Day, is a big event in Central Asia. We were honoured to be invited as special guests to the official IWD concert in Nukus. I wasn’t the only man in the audience, but there weren’t all that many of us. At least I was ushered into a front row seat.
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VIDEOS:
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‘NAURUZ’ – the Central Asia New year (“Navro’z” in Uzbek language)
This was my third Nauruz / Nowruz in Central Asia – the previous two were in Kazakhstan. Nauruz coincides with the 21st March Spring Equinox, and many people and institutions make extensive preparations for the big day – in fact, some celebrations last for a week. As well as being called the Central Asia New Year, it is widely known as the Iranian New Year, or Persian New Year.
We were honoured to be invited to the official Nauruz concert in Nukus, as special guests of the Vice Chairman of the Karakalpakstan Parliament. The concert was opened by the head of the Parliament of Karakalpakstan, speaking to an invited audience of thousands from all over Karakalpakstan, made up of local officials, cultural figures, other dignitaries and key locals, and some visiting internationals.
Head of the Karakalpakstan Election Commission, with Irina and Andy at official celebrations marking ‘Nauruz’ (the Central Asia New Year).
On the following day, we were invited by the Karakalpak Election Commission to the ‘open’ concert for the general public, in the same venue, with many of the same acts, but this time lasting only an hour.
“Happy New Year!”
VIDEO:
I can’t finish this section without thanking our hotel, Jipek Joli (‘Silk Road’) for inviting us to a special, traditional Nauruz lunch on 21st of March (New Year’s Day). My camera-work doesn’t do it justice…
ELECTION DAY
Irina observes up close in a Nukus polling station
Let the Count begin !
…and the winner at this polling station is… Mr Karimov, the sitting President !
polling stations register their results at the Nukus District Election Commission, beginning 11pm Sunday, ending Monday afternoon
polling station results are reviewed by the Nukus District Election Commission
press conference by the Nukus District Election Commission
After twelve years, I was back in Uzbekistan. Selected by SOLACE on behalf of the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, I was the sole UK contribution to the OSCE/ODIHR ‘Limited Election Observation Mission’ for the parliamentary elections. I then had the good fortune to spend a number of weeks based in the historic city of Samarkand, that once was the centre of Tamerlane’s empire.
From Samarkand city, accompanied by team-mate Eldrid Roine (Norway), Assistant-Interpreter Alisa (and Shakhnoza temporarily), and driver Sherzod, we struck out over a number of weeks across the Great Silk Route regions of Samarkand, Navoiy, Bukhara, and Qashqadaryo, holding meetings with election officials, candidates, political parties, journalists (article: visiting the studios of Samarkand TV), civil society organisations and human rights defenders, amongst others.
The “Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions”, published the day after the elections, concluded that the 21 December 2014 parliamentary elections in the Republic of Uzbekistan “were competently administered but lacked genuine electoral competition and debate.”
Eldrid, Sherzod, Alisa, Andy
Andy (UK) and Eldrid (Norway) at the studios of Samarkand TV
SAMARKAND – ANCIENT CAPITAL OF THE GREAT SILK ROUTE
Monument to Tamerlane in Samarkand’s main boulevard
Tamerlane’s mausoleum & tomb (black, centre) in Samarkand, surrounded by loved ones
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The ‘Registan’ (‘Sandy Place’) Square
The Registan was the official centre of Samarkand in the Fifteenth Century
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Siab Bazaar, farmers market
BUKHARA – ANCIENT CITY OF THE GREAT SILK ROUTE
Facing the Mosque from the Medrassa door
Mosque
Medrassa
TOWN & CITY – MODERN LIVING
An open-air bus stop with all mod cons? Or a couple of shoppers planning to get home, then hang up their coats before watering the new armchair plant?…
Assistant-Interpreter Shakhnoza in the courtyard of Caravan restaurant
Assistant-Interpreter, Shakhnoza, in the courtyard of Karavan restaurant in Bukhara
Inflation is high – there are only around 250 US Dollars on the table. It’s a lot of paper to carry around in your pocket during the weekend. Most people walk around with a shoulder bag or plastic bag full of the stuff (you can’t just hide it under your pillow).
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ELECTION CAMPAIGN SAMPLERS
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Candidates debate at Samarkand local community (‘mahalla’) centre
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Candidates debate for one-hour on Samarkand local television
ELECTION PREPARATIONS
Setting up the Polling Stations…
Training the Polling Station’s commission members, by lecture…
ELECTION DAY
Checking the Voter List at a Qarshi city Polling Station, Qashqadaryo Oblast
Voting
Slow voting at a Polling Station in Samarkand city
Counting
Preparing to count the ballots at the Languages Institute in Samarkand city
FESTIVE SEASON
The ‘Christmas’ festive season is celebrated colourfully in Uzbekistan, but not as a religious occasion, just as an occasion for celebration. It is mingled with other events nearby in the calendar – for example, the Chinese New Year (19th February, 2015) will bring in the Year of the Sheep (or Goat, or Ram), hence Santa and a sheep are depicted in this shop window painting (almost every shop window was painted over with a seasonal scene).
After three months of pining, finally I was back in my beloved eastern Ukraine city of Kharkiv.
…as OSCE/ODIHR Team 38… Veronika (Lithuania), Anastasiya (Assistant/Interpreter), Olga (Assistant/Driver), The Token Man (UK), and our faithful Qashqai…
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