Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko said that he allegedly has information about Russia's intentions to "intervene" in elections in Ukraine.
“We receive information that Russia plans to intervene in the election campaign in Ukraine through a system of disinformation and falsification and with the help of a cyber attack. I count on the effective work of both the CEC and the special services to counter Russian interference and ensure the free will of the Ukrainians, ”Poroshenko said in a Twitter statement.
At the same time, the Ukrainian leader did not explain where he came from such “information”. In August, Poroshenko claimed that Russia was already “interfering” in elections through social networks. He said Moscow “got a good hand on itself” in other countries, citing as an example a referendum on ratifying the association agreement between Ukraine and the EU in the Netherlands, the results of which were not in favor of Kiev.
“Already, leading IT companies are registering the creation of thousands, tens of thousands of fake accounts with Russian roots. Russia is preparing for a powerful new manipulative campaign - fake news, undermining stability, ”Poroshenko said then, calling for German, French and American specialists to“ prevent outside interference in the electoral process. ”
The fact that Russia allegedly tried to influence the presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine was also said by the secretary of the national security and defense council of the country, Oleksandr Turchynov. He supported his position with the word "unconditionally".
State Duma deputy from Sevastopol Dmitry Belik questioned the sources from which the Ukrainian leader receives “information”. According to him, the influence of social networks in Ukraine has not reached the western level, and the “Russian hackers” have nothing to crack.
“I wonder where this information was received by the President of Ukraine? From reliable sources from across the Atlantic Ocean? ”Said the parliamentarian.
“I don’t really understand how Russia can influence the mood of Ukrainians. Russian TV channels and social networks are disconnected, and the majority of Ukrainian media are loyal to the authorities, ”said a source at the RT Self-Help Party.
According to experts, allegations of "Russian intervention" are replenishing a number of unsubstantiated accusations made earlier by Western countries.
“If Russia was accused of the United States, they accused of all the great Western powers, Poroshenko should be among them. This is cheap demagogy, his entire campaign is built on confrontation with Russia, ”said Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of the Institute of CIS Countries, in a conversation with RT.
As Vladimir Jabarov, deputy chairman of the committee of the Federation Council on international affairs, noted, any country that is preparing for elections is accusing Russia of “interfering”.
“Poroshenko does not control any processes in Ukraine and understands that he has very little chance of being elected honestly. So he is trying at all costs to lay the litter in advance, to hedge and, if anything, blame Russia for his defeat. This is complete nonsense. We are not interested in what he does there, whom they elect. Ukraine lives and let him live. The main thing is that they fulfill the Minsk agreements and citizens of the south-east of Ukraine did not suffer from permanent aggression, ”the senator said in an interview with RT.
Ukrainian politicians believe that Poroshenko, speaking of "interference", is trying to distract residents from internal problems.
“The theme of Russia is win-win. Any problem in the country is immediately explained by the intervention of Russia. But maybe it's time to admit the obvious? The work of the country's leadership does not suit the population, which is faced with poverty, unemployment and banditry. And Russia, of course, is to blame for this, ”the deputy from the Batkivshchyna party says in an interview with RT.
An expert of the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies, Vladimir Bruter, believes that Poroshenko is counting on the media effect.
“Poroshenko has a lot of such western training manuals, and he is guided by them. But the question is that the United States has not yet decided on Poroshenko in the elections, and therefore he is nervous. If he gets into the second round with Tymoshenko, then the States will face a serious dilemma, ”he said.
- Reuters
- © Valentyn Ogirenko
According to the representative of the party "Popular Front", the theme of "interference" in the electoral process will not help Poroshenko to convince the electorate to vote for him.
“The population is already tired of the constant reports of a possible Russian attack, terrorist attacks from Russia, and now about interference in the elections. It is clear that the role of Moscow is exaggerated specifically to write off the failures of the country's leadership. Ordinary people understand this very well, ”he noted.
"Warning to opponents"
The Ukrainian leader is also trying to conduct preparations for the elections at the legislative level. At a meeting with new members of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, he called for increased responsibility for bribing voters.
“I hope both for the decisive actions of the CEC, and for the need to make changes to the legislation that significantly complicate this process (bribing - RT ) and increase responsibility,” Poroshenko said.
He noted that the draft law is ready for consideration, and called for the preparation and approval of relevant amendments to the legislation.
“I want to emphasize that after the discussion in the National Council, I will be ready to submit to parliament and define this bill as urgent,” he said.
According to Zharikhin, with the help of such a tool Poroshenko will fight with his competitors.
“This is a formidable warning to Poroshenko’s opponents, because in the present post-truth conditions it’s not worthwhile to create a case with the help of the media against any opponent of Poroshenko. This is a resource that he is going to use during the elections, because in fair elections he will not be able to win. ”
Presidential elections in Ukraine will be held March 31, 2019. The results of opinion polls can not reassure the current president. According to a survey conducted by the sociological group “Rating” from September 10 to September 18, 2018, the leader among the candidates is Yulia Tymoshenko from the “Batkivshchyna” party, for which 13.2% are ready to vote. At the same time, the rating of Poroshenko (6.8%) is even lower than that of the showman Vladimir Zelensky, for which 7.8% of Ukrainians would vote.
A study conducted by NewsOne showed that only 5% of voters would like to see Poroshenko as president. To the question “Would you like Poroshenko to be re-elected for a second term?” 95% of the respondents answered “no”
Bruter agreed that the strengthening of responsibility for the bribery of voters should play into the hands of the Ukrainian leader.
“Poroshenko, by virtue of the instructions that were written to him, wants to tie the standard for Ukraine procedures to a crime. He wants to have such a means of influence on everyone. After the candidate distributes the selection, he will be accused of corruption and removed from the elections. But bribing has nothing to do with this. And if there are three such candidates? Poroshenko will have a universal mechanism for withdrawing candidates and legal prosecution, ”the expert believes.
At the same time, Belik expressed doubt that such initiatives would not harm the president himself.
“And what, Poroshenko decided to withdraw his candidacy from the elections? Declaring increased responsibility for the bribery of voters, he practically deprives himself of the chance to be elected, ”the deputy said.
In his opinion, Poroshenko will not be able to significantly raise the rating before the elections, without resorting to violation of laws and democratic norms.
“Bribes, falsifications, administrative pressure - this is the only opportunity for Peter Alekseevich to re-occupy the office on Bankova,” Belik concluded.