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No Exit Polls for Ukraine?
The Ukraine faces the prospect of having no independent exit poll for its forthcoming elections, despite the fact that such polls played a key part in exposing fraud and overturning the election result in 2004.
In the second round of the 2004 presidential election, polls showed that Victor Yushchenko had beaten Victor Yanukovych by 53 to 44 percent, helping to expose the fraudulent official result which claimed Yanukovych had won a narrow victory, by 49.5 to 46.6%; and featuring in the ensuing Supreme Court hearings which led to a repeat vote and Yushchenko's becoming President.
A recent poll found that 82 percent of Ukrainians expect vote rigging this time around, according to www.kyivpost.com . Independent polls have since 1998 been financed by foreign embassies and international donors, but these have reportedly changed their funding priorities. Meanwihle a rash of polls conducted by partisan sources are accounting for many of the resources which might have conducted an independent poll. GfK is reportedly among firms currently discussing the conduct of exit polls for private clients.
Democratic Initiatives, a mostly Western-financed policy center based in Kiev and online at www.kiis.com.ua , is still trying to raise funds for a robust exit poll in both election rounds, while Opora, a nationwide civic activist group, will carry out a first-of-its-kind quick vote at 1,000 polling stations.
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