Reversing Democratic Revolutions: The Implications of Ukraine’s 2010 Local Elections

 

Erik S. Herron
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

Nazar Boyko
Cifra Group, L ´ viv, Ukraine

ABSTRACT
The triumph of Viktor Yanukovych in Ukraine’s 2010 presidential election raised questions about the continuation of democratic electoral practices instituted after the Orange Revolution. Local elections provided the first opportunity to assess these practices under the Yanukovych presidency. This article’s analysis covers two critical issues: 1) how do the outcomes reflect political developments in Ukraine, and 2) how did the quality of election administration vary across Ukraine? The article uses cross-regional assessments and detailed data from L’viv to answer both questions. In addition to addressing the conditions of local elections, the analysis speaks to changes Ukraine’s democratic status since 2010.

 

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