OPORA's representatives have noticed on 13 July that UKROP charitable fund is disseminates food sets to pensioners and low-income families in different districts of Chernihiv city. Taking into consideration that symbols on tents are identical to symbols of the UKROP political party, which has nominated MP candidate Hennadii Korban in district #205, such dissemination of food sets can be classified as indirect voter bribery.
People in the tents explain that it's a social project of the UKROP charitable fund. They feed pensioners and low-income people with hot dinners. Besides that, people can check their health in the tents, measure blood pressure and get a medical consultation. Low-income citizens can receive food sets there as a form of social assistance. OPORA's representatives have reported that there are 5 tents in different districts of the city. They are located at: 204 Prospekt Mury, 37 Rokosovskoho St., 15 Pushkina St., 171 Pershoho Travnia St., 197 Shevchenka St..
Hot dinners are served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..
From 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., the poorest people can receive food sets.
Long queues of irritable people are observed near tents when food sets are distributed. Food sets vary from tent to tent, for example: rice, buckwheat, oil, sugar, flour, canned food. To receive a food set, one must show a pension certificate.
Such distribution of food sets has typical features of indirect voter bribery. Civil Network OPORA would like to remind that distribution of food sets is a gross violation of Article 74(13) of the Law of Ukraine on Elections of People's Deputies of Ukraine: "While conducting election campaigning, it shall be prohibited to hand out money or distribute for free or on a preferential basis commodities (except items bearing the visual images of the name, symbol, or flag of a party, provided that the value of such items does not exceed three percent of the minimum salary), services, works, securities, loans, lottery tickets, other tangible assets to voters, establishments, institutions, or organizations. Such election campaigning or handing out money or distribution for free or on a preferential basis of commodities, services, works, securities, loans, lottery tickets, other tangible assets to voters, establishments, institutions, or organizations along with appeals or proposals to vote or not to vote for a particular party or MP candidate or along with mentioning the name of a party or an MP candidate shall be deemed to be indirect bribing of voters."
OPORA's representative has tried to receive a comment concerning tents in headquarters of MP candidate Hennadii Korban, but was advised to ask MP Andrii Denysenko, who is associated with the UKROP charitable fund. However, there we haven't received from the MP any answer concerning tents yet.
Civil Network OPORA continues watching the situation as a part of citizen monitoring of an MP of Ukraine in district #205, and informing the public about any changes.
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