The authorities decided to buy votes legally

The authorities decided to buy votes legally

On the eve of the presidential elections in 2015 year, the authorities are betting on the program "Agitator" — with potentially loyal voters they will sign contracts for the provision of campaign services to the candidate, under which they will be paid money.

This is written by ZN.UA, citing its own sources.

"The prototype of the 'Agitator' program was developed and successfully used in Ukraine. In particular, in the Vasyl Khmelnitsky district, and later — in the affiliated project "Public Activist of Kyiv." The model was refined by Russian political technologists and adopted by the staff of Andriy Kluyev. The essence of the program is not merely a large-scale vote-buying, but the legitimation of this process," the article emphasizes.

According to ZN.UA, since the summer of 2013 year funds have been accumulating in accounts opened by local party organizations.

"Farmers, importers, trading enterprises make mandatory contributions to these funds. The money is accumulating for signing contracts with people whose duties will include campaigning for the presidential candidate. Thus, nearly 34 thousand open, legal contracts will be concluded, with accounts opened and bank cards issued, one key person per polling station," the publication notes.

The chief agitator signs similar contracts with activists from apartment buildings located on the site.

Together they compile a register of loyal and potentially loyal voters, who in turn sign the same open contract for providing campaign services to the candidate.

According to ZN.UA, the cost and scale of this project will depend on two factors — "how much money can be squeezed out of the state purse or how much one is not afraid to extract from personal funds."

"Initially it was planned that payment to a routine agitator — a voter — would be divided into four installments of 400 hryvnias each, three payments before the elections and the last one after the results are tallied. This amount could be adjusted," writes ZN.UA.

Secondly, it has not yet been decided who should receive payments — only those who vote for money, or steadfast supporters as well.

"In the second case, it could involve 15 million voters capable of helping Yanukovych win, and the campaign staff could appropriate the budget," ZN.UA notes.

UP