Early parliamentary elections in Ukraine have proven country’s democratic commitments, according to Oct.27 preliminary statement of the Organization for Co-Operation and Security of Europe, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, European Parliament and NATO Parliamentary Assembly observers who have asked newly-elected parliament to pursue reforms to the Constitution, judiciary and electoral system.
“The somber mood of the Ukrainian people in these elections reflects the gravity of the crisis facing the country. They have chosen a new Verkhovna Rada, which will be very different in composition from its predecessor,” Christopher Chope, head of the PACE delegation said.
“The Verkhovna Rada must now accept this new mandate in the same spirit and work quickly to implement reforms, many of which are long overdue,” he said adding that the PACE and Venice Commission are ready to assist.
Commenting on the fact that it was not possible to hold elections in 12 out of 21 election districts in the Donetsk Oblast and in 5 out of 11 in the Luhansk Oblast as well as in occupied Crimea, Doris Barnett, head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation said the elections are considered valid.
“The nearly 30 seats that will be left empty in the new parliament serve as a stark reminder that illegal armed groups prevented voters in some parts of the country from being able to vote,” Barnett said.
“These illegal actions do not call into question the validity of the overall election. We look forward to these seats being filled as soon as possible so that representatives of those areas can join their colleagues in an open dialogue to the benefit of all Ukrainians,” he said.
At the same time, the international observers pointed out that the safety of journalists was jeopardized by the ongoing hostilities in the east. Apart from that, they criticized the system of campaign financing, as despite the recent amendments, “corruption continues to undermine confidence in the electoral process,” in Ukraine, according to them.
“There are a number of improvements to be done, but our general impression has been positive. Ukrainian people has after Maidan clearly chosen Europe as its orientation and authorities have chosen peace,” Andrej Plenković, head of the European Parliament delegation said.
“We hope that the new Verkhovna Rada will form stable government which will embark on reforms. I’m pleased that no parties have contested the results of the elections, which also proves the clarity of the process,” Plenkovic said.
Kyiv Post staff writer Anastasia Forina can be reached at [email protected]
