In Kyiv Region the Electoral Committee didn’t Allow Journalists to Be Present at their Meeting

Olha Gagarina, a journalist of analytical weekly Hromadsky Zahast Kyivshchyny, was not allowed to be present at the meeting of аcommittee in Svitylna, Brovary district, Kyiv region.
 

It is adirectviolation of the electoral legislature especially taking into consideration the fact that at that meeting two candidates from the Opposition were removed from the list.
 

Roman Holovenko, an IMI expert in Media Law, considers such decision of the committee illegitimate. "It’s obvious that such decision is illegitimate. There is a law About Elections of Deputies to Local Authorities, VerhovnaRada ARC, and also Heads of Villages, Towns and Cities. According to Art.27, part 9, paragraph Media reps have right to be present at the meetings of the committees and in the election constituency during the voting".
 

Mr Holovenko says that the committee can make such decision in case when the journalists block the work, but the video shows that it was not the case. The participants of the press conference think that such behavior of a Head of the Committee shows that the decisions of removing of two candidates from the Opposition could be made illegally.
 

The participants of press conference called all journalists to pay much attention to elections in Svitylna, Brovary district, Kyiv region which are due on May, 27.