 · Moreover, legal provisions for balanced and unbiased coverage were frequently violated by the monitored private TV channels. Overall, the campaign news coverage lacked in-depth analysis. Most candidates were reluctant to participate in televised debates. Several journalists and hosts showed a clear bias towards certain candidates through favourable invitees, partisan declarations, as well as voicing results of opinion polls that did not disclose the methodology as required by the election law.
Although the official finished report tried to highlight things Ukraine did right, it's painfully clear there is no interest in having a representative government by elected officials.
While newly elected Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky has the option to disband the current government because there is no majority coalition in the Rada, it presents problems now if he does, and later if he doesn't call for early elections.
If Zelensky wants to work reforms, this option gives him a chance to pass legislation to implement reform. The problem is this will unseat many ultra-nationalists appointed by the former government and could cause tremendous internal friction.
If he waits until the October election, he may lose any momentum he earned in the election.
My prediction is Zelensky may start reforms but they will stall almost right away because of the biggest elephant in the room- Donbass.
As long as the civil war drags on, the money and the will won't be there to make any changes for the better in Ukraine. Zelensky already signaled he has no desire to speak with the former East Ukrainian regions.
What this means for Ukrainians is their economy and the social net will sink further into the mud while reforms making great strides next door in LDNR.
This is the difference between the election process in the Lugansk People's Republic (LNR), DNR, and Ukraine.
Ukraine called the November 2018 elections in LDNR illegitimate even though turnout was over 70%. All the safeguards for the election were monitored and very few violations were noted. The elections were fair.
Despite all the election violations noted in the reports, leaders in Europe and the US consider the election in Ukraine legitimate. Will this lower the bar too far for elections in Europe?
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