Ukrainian elections free and fair, says OSCE's Election Observation Mission (04/02/06)

Ukrainian elections free and fair, says OSCE's Election Observation Mission

KYIV - The March 26 parliamentary elections in Ukraine further consolidated the breakthrough in the conduct of a democratic election process that began less than a year and a half ago. Overall, fundamental civil and political rights were respected. This enabled voters to make informed choices between distinct alternatives and to freely and fairly express their will, concluded the International Election Observation Mission of the Organization for Security and Coooperation in Europe (OSCE) in a statement released in Kyiv on March 27.

The mission deployed over 900 observers from 45 countries including 200 members of Parliaments, to observe the elections.

"These elections can only be described as free and fair, and so it is the Ukrainian people who are the real winners," said OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Alcee Hastings, a U.S. congressman from Florida who was appointed by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office as the special coordinator for the short-term observers.

Renate Wohlwend, head of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and co-rapporteur for PACE's monitoring of Ukraine, said, "Despite serious technical failings, in a clear break with the past, all Ukrainians have demonstrated their commitment to the democratic process."

"The media coverage was generally balanced, even though in the last days of the campaign, political views of the owners became more evident. All in all, the parties and candidates were able to get their different messages across through a vibrant media, giving the people of Ukraine the possibility to freely make a political choice and express it," said Marek Siwiec, leader of the delegation of the European Parliament.

Pierre Lellouche, president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and head of its delegation, said: "The fairness and transparency of these elections confirms the irreversible changes in Ukraine's democratic transformation. The door to Euro-Atlantic integration remains open to Ukraine and it is up to its people to decide when is the appropriate time to take the next steps."

Lubomir Kopaj, head of the long-term observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), stressed the need for continued overhaul of voter lists and electoral legislation. "Ukraine has come a long way in just over one year. I urge the authorities not to lose momentum, now that we have seen what can be achieved. I hope that a serious case, described by our observers as deliberate fraud in Kirovohrad, where local militia was observed directing the vote count, will remain an isolated incident."

The campaign was competitive and dynamic and was covered comprehensively by media. This enabled parties and blocs to communicate their messages to the voters. The election was administered in a transparent manner and the presence of a large number of both partisan and non-partisan observers further enhanced the transparency, the OSCE noted.

Problems in staffing polling station commissions, and an excessive number of voters in some polling stations, caused a degree of disorder on election day. There was a political will to overhaul and update voter lists, but a limited number of errors still remains, the OSCE added.

The organization also reported that election day was peaceful, despite overcrowding observed in 30 percent of the polling stations. These delays were largely due to the simultaneous holding of general and local elections and further compounded by the large size of the ballot. Because of the delays, voting outside the polling booth was observed in 12 percent of cases, possibly compromising the secrecy of the vote. In spite of these sometimes stressful conditions, a vast majority of the polling station commissions conducted their work in a credible manner, with virtually no incidents recorded.

Meanwhile, speaking from Brussels, the OSCE's chairman-in-office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, on March 27 expressed his satisfaction over the conduct of the March 26 parliamentary elections in Ukraine.

"It was a competitive ballot, open to the representatives of a wide political spectrum. This is a crucial move for the consolidation of the democratic process," he said. "The citizens of Ukraine were allowed to express their vote freely."

The chairman-in-office also welcomed the large participation of the voters in the election. "The conduct of yesterday's elections is encouraging," Minister De Gucht said.

"It shows that Ukraine has already made considerable progress. However, these positive dynamics should be pursued in order to further strengthen democracy and the rule of law in the country," he concluded.

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