Ukraine Crisis: Eastern Rebels Hold Self-Rule Referendums

[Igel]

13. Some are.

It's a problem that the ballots are photocopied and it's easy to just take one and photocopy more. There are not rolls.

The elections aren't free. Yeah, anybody can vote, but if you voice the wrong views you won't be just be intimidated by having somebody present. It speaks loads that some "activists" tried to remove a miner's tattoo that said "Glory to Ukraine." He'd had it for years. Suddenly it meant he was Right Sector, so armed "activists" kidnapped him, beat him and tried to remove it. With knives.

The elections aren't fair. The results will be taken to apply to the entire oblast. But only very heavily urban areas will have polls. Primarily those that are strongly Russian. (No, Slov'yansk is not 100% Russian.)

The counters are strong proponents of having a "yes." The organizers have advertised, campaigned for "yes." They have intimidated at gunpoint media that don't argue "yes," closed some local media outlets entirely (telling the owners and reporters it would be best if they left town), and insist that only the Russian tv view of what's going on is the correct view.

And the best? "Whatever the turnout, we will judge the results to be valid." (Yes, that is a quote. From various. Lyashkin--Lyagin?--being the one I remember. The elections organizer.)

Months ago I predicted the Georgia variant as a viable possibility. Not the one under Putin, the one under Lenin. A small group sets themselves up as the one true legitimate government then, when they're threatened, invites in the Red Army to make them the real government. Then Lenin could turn around and say that they were invited in by the legitimate government to put down those opposed to democracy.