Posted on 05/23/2014 9:22:01 PM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com
Donetsk is the largest city in eastern Ukraine, with a population of nearly a million people. But it appears that many -- if not most -- of its voters will not be able to take part in Ukraine's presidential election on May 25 because of the climate of fear separatists have established on the city's streets.
The fear is measurable in the scarcity of election campaign banners on main boulevards and the almost total absence of people handing out election flyers just days ahead of the vote.
Local journalists say the rare campaign banners that are visible belong almost entirely to a single party, the Party of Regions, which in recent years has been the strongest in eastern Ukraine. Its candidate is Mykhaylo Dobkin, who favors a united Ukraine but with greater independence for its regions and is widely regarded as more pro-Russia rather than pro-West.
Yet even his campaign workers have stayed off the street, journalists say, for fear of being attacked by militants of the separatist, self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. The separatists, who have declared the Donetsk region independent and urged Russia to annex it, have vowed to block the May 25 election and have been working hard to do so.
Oleksiy Matsuka, the editor of the "Novosti Donbassa" news site, says that armed militants have repeatedly broken into the campaign centers set up by the presidential candidates. "They smash equipment like fax and copying machines and computers and destroy election brochures," he says.
Matsuka, whose site is critical of the separatists, recently moved to an undisclosed location outside the city due to fears for his personal safety.
Climate Of Fear, Intimidation
The intimidation of campaign workers mirrors the intimidation of election commission staff. A member of the executive commission for one election district in Donetsk says that representatives of the Donetsk People's Republic visited his district's office on May 22.
Five men wearing flak jackets and carrying clubs demanded the election workers turn over boxes of ballot forms, claiming that "the people" were against preparations for the election. As other armed men stood outside, the visitors removed documentation that included the names and addresses of the commission members. They then presented the commission chairman with a receipt for the material seized.
Other election commission representatives say they have come under similar pressure.
Valeriy Dudarenko, deputy head of another local election commission in Donetsk, recently told the media he expected 60 out the 88 polling stations in his district to be working on May 25.
Ukrainian election officials said on May 23 that the separatists had so far seized more than half of the election commissions in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Kyiv has been encouraging local voters to register in neighboring areas outside of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, although the deadline to do so was May 19.
Constant Threat Of Violence
Local journalists say armed separatists have been able to do so much to disrupt preparations for the vote because they have effectively instituted a reign of terror in the city.
Olena Zashko, an RFE/RL Ukrainian Service correspondent in Donetsk, says the armed militants mainly keep to the area of the regional administration building they have seized downtown and its adjacent park. But when they do move outside of their base, they do so with a level of deliberate violence that terrifies ordinary citizens.
The intimidation strategy has been on full display as pro-unity supporters have gained new energy recently from the decision of regional powerbroker and tycoon Rinat Akhmetov to stand by Kyiv. Akhmetov, who controls the Donbas region's steel and mining industry, has condemned the separatists as "thugs" and called for peaceful rallies against them.
Yet when hundreds of pro-unity supporters attended a rally in Donetsk's Donbas Arena stadium on May 20, separatist militants reportedly waited on the outskirts of the event to ambush individuals who separated from the crowd, beating them with hammers.
Journalists say similar risks await cars that participate in now daily shows of support for Ukrainian unity by driving through the city at noon blaring their horns. Thugs waiting on street corners hurl rocks at the cars or race out to smash their windshields with bats. "I saw with my own eyes how the separatists chased two cars, attacked and destroyed them completely," RFE/RL's Zashko says.
Residents say the most feared institution in Donetsk today is the regional administration building, which the separatists have occupied for six weeks. The 11-story facility that serves as headquarters for the Donetsk People's Republic is ringed by barricades and barbed wire, and has become notorious for the interrogations and beatings rumored to take place on its fifth and sixth floors.
People targeted by the separatists are snatched off the streets of Donetsk in broad daylight by men in balaclavas and taken into the building. Those who were later released say they were repeatedly beaten, abused, and threatened with death for opposing the self-declared republic
“Who are the rebels? I’m trying to follow this.”
If I’m describing it, the Separatists are “the Rebels”. They are rebelling against the Kiev coup government, hence....
You two seem to want too, as well as obongi,
and he didn’t care about Maidan it was soros and EU
that financed. Us just gave foreign aid over years,.
He don’t know dung from shinola, let alone Ukraine.
And his tepid response means damage to Ukraine and that
he and putler are commies/fascists of the same stripe...
the “little writing men” on the net.....
They want to destroy Ukraine...
Multiple reports, even from Euromaidan PR, that Right Sector militia men are involved in operations in the east.
Kiev coup government— lies—
The elected Rada voted him out, like impeach and he left,
with his friends 80 billions...
Like if congress impeach obongi he’d be expected to leave.
‘’the little writing men and their lies....””
EuromaidanPR and the Kiev post were trumpeting for a week how the “Donbas” Right Sector was moving through towns, getting closer to Donetsk. They also said the Pro-Russians were “fleeing for the border”.
OOPS....
Last night they got their a***s handed to them, and events of the last 2 days clearly show that not only are they not leaving, but have gained the upper hand against the disorganized Kiev troops and militias, tactically.
Blah, blah, blah.
I say tomato. you say to-ma-to.
Events have spoken for themselves, no matter how hard you try to deny it.
Well they came to rescue of UKR Army unit under attack
yesterday........... is that an operation........
............ you object to............
Since Kolo and Akmetov have paid leave, their work force
to go and demonstrate in favor of UKR, in favor of
elections, help patrol Maripol and drive out terrorists
YOU TWO HAVE WENT ABSOLUTLY BONKERS ON HERE, LIKE
YOU ARE OM KREMLIN TROLL NET PAYROLL.............
Hardly anybody showed up for Akmetov’s “Demonstration”. His workers obviously don’t support it.
Akmetov is shocked, just shocked, to find that separatism is going on in Donetsk. And he’s just trying to cover his butt after Kiev threatened to nationalize his assets. He’s playing both sides, which is apparently his history.
In addition, the Russians are starting to hit back at some of the coup-supporting Ukrainian Oligarchs. Just yesterday they got Cyprus to freeze the assets of the coup-appointed Oligarch Governor of Donetsk, Sergei Taruta.
If you recall, it was the protest against his unelected appointment by Kiev after the coup, that kicked off the whole mess in the Southeast.
“YOU ARE OM KREMLIN TROLL NET PAYROLL.............”
lol...
What does it pay?
It’s going to be a great weather weekend, and I could use some gas for the plane.
quote-have gained the upper hand against the disorganized Kiev troops and militias, tactically.
CORRECT— why, well your russian stooge yanu decimated
the UKR army down to a small fraction of what it was.
And newly formed militias without formal training,
no proper coordination can have problems....;
But is that a reason for Ukraine to be subjugated
to russia.......
Many thousands of ‘’little writing men’’ are shafting UKR
quote-Akmetov is shocked, just shocked, to find that separatism
wrong— investigations showed he encouraged it to
start with, as he has until now been putlers buddy,
but now getting cold feet as he is not sure that
the east will suceed in leaving, federating with russia
and he be left the big cheeze in putlers retinue.
BUT KOLO WHEN HE TURNED HIS GUYS LOOSE SHAFTED THE
CERTAINTY OF THOSE PLANS....
LOL.
Since day one of their coup the Kiev Kiddies have been planning to ignore the voting results from the Southeast and several regions in the East as well. The Kiev Kiddies didn't even offer token resistance to Russia moving into Crimea nor did they react to protests and the seizure of armories in East and Southeast Ukraine once their proud Parachute Brigade all joined the locals. That is, they didn't react until the IMF told them that without control of those areas their loans would be reconsidered.
From the way they behaved, they wanted Russia to take over the Southeast Ukraine along with Crimea and did everything they could to make it as easy for them as taking Crimea was. Unfortunately for them, Putin isn't as stupid as they are. While Crimea was and is critical to Russia, Putin knows that if he just waits a while he'll probably have Southeast Ukraine handed to him on a silver platter by Ukrainians and Europeans anxious to have Russia take control there.
While the Kiev Coup Kiddies and the Right Sector types didn't resist the Russians in Crimea, they're now happy to have the chance to to kill fellow Ukrainians they call "ethnic Russians" or "terrorists" for doing exactly the same sort of things the Kiev Kiddies themselves were doing several months ago. That's all you really need to know to see through all the lies out of Kiev and the media who when told to jump ask "how high".
The Kiev Coup Kiddies are the public face of a loose alliance of organized crime groups, that's all. They couldn't gain power under the rules that have held sway since Ukraine independence, so they used a mob to take power. Whatever middlemen they were dealing with convinced them the EU and NATO would rush right in and keep them in power. Now they know the middlemen they were dealing with are every bit as stupid as the Kiev Coup Kiddies leadership is. Not only has Putin behaved differently than they expected him to, the EU and NATO have as well.
Anyone who thinks the Naziboys will go quietly into the night when their allies now in charge don't win the upcoming elections is just plain stupid.
“investigations showed he encouraged it to start with,”
That’s what I said, though sarcasticly. Now that he finds his own money at risk, he tries to play both sides, only his employees aren’t cooperating.
stick it up youer backside you obama lover!
That's right...further...Kiev Gov. was ‘expecting’ Nato and US troops to assist them... even though they're not a NAto member. Once it was apparent that wasn't going to happen they resorted to “forcing” the issue, (Odessa), which by the way is standard operations when “asking” doesn't work....
US nor Russia would be pressured to fight a war neither wanted...both said they would not go to war over Ukraine.... Coupled with The Soldiers did not want to shoot their own people Keiv Leadership resorted to using Private Sector to do their dirty work, just as they did in the Maidan Revolution...and with the Odessa Massacre. Now some within the Private Sector are rebelling against Keiv Gov, along with the Oligarchs who support Private Sectors representation in Keiv Gov and fear loosing their power..... so there are instances where it's being reported they are shooting each other.....it's been said the 30 soldiers shot for not fighting was done by Private Sector.
You alluded to the possibility Keiv Gov. may not really want the Eastern areas and would be happier if they didn't have to deal with them....there was an effort/debate to draw up Ukrine 'without' the East....Keiv Leaders determined that they'd be better off in retaining and holding their power. However, the EU/US denied this for the economic loses of the industrial areas and the revenues Keiv would need to function and re-pay the vast loans to IMF etc.
Now there's a complete total cluster of warring parties throughout Ukraine....politically and in the battle areas......multi-layered with various agendas to control Ukraine and retain or gain power. Lots of money floating to control those in the field of play..on and off the field of battle.
This election is not going to change the dynamics of Ukraine overnight by any means. If Porsh. wins as I believe he will...he's going to play some hard ball with whomever is in the way and will have the US support, and Russia's to do so.
Yesterday news in Kiev Post stated..Keiv welcomes Russia acceptance to the outcome of the elections....thus already moving in the direction Porsh is going to take the new Gov. They would have never headlined this were they not positioning for the changes ahead. This has riled the Private Sector greatly.
Tipping point perhaps and why they are now so successful and have been in these past few weeks.....”special forces” generally come in at tipping points, once more, to push war zones to one side or the other.IMO these soldiers have been involved all along...but moreso at this time and larger numbers sufficient to push this war and assist the Separatists/Anti-Kiev forces.
(via Kiev post....video at site)
"Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright expresses support for the Ukrainian presidential elections in meeting with candidate Yulia Tymoshenko Tymoshenko Tymoshenko."
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