25/10/2014 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - There is a "day of silence" in Ukraine before the parliamentary elections day

25/10/2014 Daily Highlights from “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

There is a "day of silence" in Ukraine before the parliamentary elections day. Special services are preparing to repel provocations on the elections day.

Ukraine

• The “Day of Silence" before the early elections to the Verkhovna Rada, when any political advertising is prohibited, was violated by almost all  major political parties and many independent candidates. A reminding outdoor advertising was posted, magazines with party leaders on the cover were present in press kiosks, stickers and flyers not removed, the president, who has positioned himself as a leader of a political block in his name, gave an interview with the message of the party.
• President Poroshenko and Prime Minister Yatsenyuk urged citizens to come to the polls.
• The Central Election Commission reported that the elections will not be held in 15 districts of Donbas because of the threat to the life of the voters. In the combat zone, militants threatened pensioners with withholding of pensions for participation in the elections.
• SSU created an internet platform for registering of video evidence of crimes and violations during the elections.
• CEC website undergoes a powerful hacker attack. However, intelligence agencies keep the situation under control.
• President Poroshenko believes that the conflict in Donbas can only be resolved through peaceful means and hopes that an agreement at the natural gas talks will be reached on October 29th.
• Ukraine switches to winter time on the night from October 25th to 26th by shifting of the clock back 1 hour. Terrorist "republics" DPR and LNR defiantly do not switch time, de facto going into the time zone of Moscow.

War in Ukraine

• State Duma deputy from the Communist Party Taisaev said in Donetsk that Russian army supported militants of LPR and DPR.
• Active combat operations slowed down significantly. Terrorist units are relocated to Donetsk airport and Debaltseve.
• Ministry of Internal Affairs is preparing for rapid response to provocations during elections in the Donbas.
• Militants seized about 100 stores of the chain "ATB" in Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

International

• Austria is ready to pay the interim financing of natural gas supplies from Russia to Ukraine as an aid in reaching a compromise at the gas talks between the EU, Ukraine and Russia.

Trends

• Experts and journalists note violations by political parties, the main contenders for seats in parliament, of the law on the election campaign. Particular complaints are against President Poroshenko, Lyashko’s Radical Party, “Bat’kivschyna”, and many candidates in majority districts.  Besides warnings, no measures against violators are provided by law.