So Parts of the Ukraine Held an Election, Didn’t They?

This past Sunday there were referendums held in the Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region on whether the republic should declare itself an autonomous region as an initial step towards seeking annexation into Russia. The initial indications are that the vote is trending towards autonomy and independence from Kiev with some reports claiming 89% favoring “self-rule.” Needless to report, but the Ukrainian government in Kiev announced before the voting even began that they would not accept the outcome due to suspecting that the vote may not be a valid representation of the citizens’ honest preferences. This was backed even further by a series of polling done a few weeks back. The  Pew Research Center poll from a few weeks back tallied 70% of eastern Ukraine opposing splitting from Ukraine, while only 18% favoring secession. A poll is already scheduled to be taken next week to vote on whether or not to request to come under Russian rule. The fact that the second vote was announced not only before the results of the referendum on secession were announced, but before the voting places had even opened leaves one to doubt the veracity of the current vote, and needless to say, the next vote might be suspect as well. Oh, maybe we should mention the claim that the turnout to vote was announced to be an impressive 75% of those eligible to vote. That is a truly unimaginable accomplishment as there is still a fairly high amount of residual violence still being perpetrated by both sides which should have made expected turnout somewhat more sparse than three-quarters of the population. Usually when there is an insurrection revolting against government forces who are trying to restore the rule of law and of the national government, most prudent and intelligent people do not venture out even to vote in a referendum being sponsored by the insurgents and opposed by the ruling government, especially when both sides are well armed and shooting has been more the rule than the exception. There are far more reasons against a high turnout at the polls and it definitely does not rouse any rational belief when the majority of pictures depict either red, white and blue Russian flags, red and blue Donetsk Republic flags and virtually no blue and gold Ukrainian flags as well as a very nice picture captioned by Reuters saying, “Armed pro-Russian casts vote.”

 

The most interesting item is most definitely not that European Union and United States spokespeople have joined with the Ukrainian government in Kiev in denouncing and calling into question the results and honesty of the referendum, but that Russian President Vladimir Putin called for the referendum to be cancelled or at least postponed. The idea is probably to have Vlad the Invader denounce holding the referendum at this time thus washing his hands of the whole issue giving him the deniability to claim he opposed the referendum while those tasked to bring about the secession and request for annexation by Russia carrying on just as planned by the Russian leadership. I realize any reference to a Russian leader making nefarious plans to compromise the Ukraine smells suspiciously of recalling Russian Dictator Joseph Stalin, and I really wouldn’t want to make any comparisons between Vladimir Putin and Joseph Stalin as that would appear to be overreaching to make slurs against President Putin. But that would also beg the question as to whether Vladimir Putin would even be displeased over being held to compare with Joseph Stalin or feel honored by such a comparison. Would such a comparison be any much worse than calling Putin Vlad the Invader and all of what that implies from a similarly nom de guerre of a Vlad who ruled in Romania. And as long as we are making slanted comparisons, my reaction to the 75% reported turnout at the polls and the 89% in favor of secession bring to memory the actual Stalin quote on elections which goes, “You know, comrades that I think in regard to this: I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this — who will count the votes, and how.” Please, is it just me or does Vladimir Putin remind one of a cross between Joseph Stalin and Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, nom de guerre Vlad the Impaler.

 

Beyond the Cusp