The Ukrainian parliamentary elections will be recognized even though some of the areas have dropped out of the voting process, said Doris Barnett (Germany), chief of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
“We have no right to claim that the elections are illegitimate because some territories are not participating,” she said while visiting the polling station, accommodated at the Officers’ Club in Kyiv.
Those who are saying this are attempting to obstruct and discredit the elections, she said.
She also said that she had seen earlier on Sunday “well organized polling stations which brought together a large number of peace-minded voters who did not have to wait to enter.”
Chief of the short-term OSCE mission Kent Harstedt said that the main problem was rooted in a large number of internally displaced people, who must be given equal rights to vote on the polling day. The second biggest problem is security in connection with threats of violence set for the polling day and security at polling stations all across Ukraine.
“In this time of trials we see great expectations emerging and enormous efforts being made by Ukraine. Despite a large number of threats of violence received ahead of the polls, we hope this day will pass off peacefully,” Harstedt said.
