Brussels - A pre-electoral delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) visited Kyiv the other day to evaluate the election campaign and preparations for the early parliamentary elections in Ukraine on Oct. 26, 2014.
“With regard to the legal framework, the PACE pre-electoral delegation recalls the Assembly’s resolutions, in particular Resolution 1988 (2014) asking the Ukrainian authorities to adopt a unified Election Code, on which basis new parliamentary elections should be promptly organized when technically and politically feasible. The early parliamentary elections will take place before many of the electoral reforms have been implemented,” reads a statement of the PACE pre-electoral delegation released on Thursday, Oct. 9.
“We regret that the existing Verkhovna Rada was unable to agree on the necessary legislation,” said the document.
The observers stressed that the election campaign is being conducted “in very challenging circumstances, due to the continuing war in the eastern part of Ukraine and the Russian illegal annexation of Crimea.”
Thus, the delegation “was impressed by the efforts being made to ensure that as many people as possible are able to participate, including internally displaced persons,” reads the statement.
The PACE also said that seats will be kept in the new Verkhovna Rada for MPs from those parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where it will not be possible for security reasons to hold elections, likewise for Crimea whose territory has been annexed.
The pre-electoral delegation was informed by certain interlocutors about some cases of intimidation and physical violence towards candidates and their representatives.
“The delegation strongly condemns any violence and has been assured by the relevant authorities that they will investigate all cases thoroughly,” reads the document.
Concerning the financing of the election campaign, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has frequently stressed the need for more robust legal mechanisms to increase the transparency of political financing of election campaigns. Unfortunately, many recommendations still remain unaddressed and the delegation hopes that the new Verkhovna Rada will be able to address these issues as a top priority.
The PACE delegation was informed about the persistent problem of lack of transparency of media ownership concentrated in the hands of wealthy individuals.
The delegation therefore welcomed the draft laws which are being put forward in response adding that the conditions for free and equal access of political parties in election campaigns have significantly improved, particularly on public TV channels.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) informed the delegation that additional measures should be taken to ensure the security of the electoral process, including the transfer of electoral material and the security of polling stations. The delegation understands that the CEC has drawn up draft legislation which the delegation hopes will be approved by the Verkhovna Rada on Oct. 14.
The Parliamentary Assembly will send a 42-member delegation to observe the early parliamentary elections on Oct. 26, 2014.