RISU to Monitor Involvement of Religious Organizations in Elections

The Center for Social Monitoring (CSM) together with the Religious Information Service are launching a project on monitoring information about the involvement of churches, religious organizations, ministers in the election campaign of 2012.

The Center for Social Monitoring (CSM) together with the Religious Information Service are launching a project on monitoring information about the involvement of churches, religious organizations, and ministers in the election campaign of 2012.

We are gathering information about the following:

• Participation of ministers in the election as candidates;
• Open or covert agitation by ministers or official representatives of religious organizations in favor of certain candidates or political parties;
• Use by candidates or political parties of religious themes in the election campaign;
• Possible pressure or encouragement of religious organizations or representatives of churches by the authorities or their representatives to participate in the elections and agitation for certain parties or candidates;
• Suppression of religious freedom in connection with the election process;
• Other forms of politicization of religious life in anticipation of the parliamentary election.

We invite all the readers to send information (texts, photos, videos) about the mentioned facts to our editorial office at this address: ukr@risu.org.ua.

RISU will post reports and conduct journalistic investigations, and CSM will present analytical materials on the basis of the information received. All the materials will be presented under the hot topic of the year: Religion and elections 2012.