The Election Monitoring Mission of the International Expert Center for Electoral Systems (ICES) for the parliamentary elections in Ukraine, as a whole, assesses the preparation and organization of the pre-election period as adequate.
“The mission of the ICES, having noted the increased societal anxiety that is being escalated by the participants in the electoral process, as a whole assesses the preparation and organization of the pre-election period as adequate,” reads the Interim Report for Election Monitoring Mission ICES from Ukraine over August 31 through September 25.
The president of the ICES, Dr. Alexander Tsinker (Israel), presented the report at a press conference hosted by Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.
According to the observers, the legal framework for elections in Ukraine for the most part matches international democratic norms; the Central Election Commission of Ukraine (CEC), formed of representatives of the various political forces and being under strong pressure from the opposing sides, pursues an independent policy; and the active struggle between party headquarters gives a competitive nature to the election campaign. In addition, the mission believes that the decision to use video cameras during the parliamentary elections, voting and counting of votes will allow fraud attempts to be significantly reduced, and will increase observers’ ability to monitor events in the polling stations.
Tsinker said the advantages of the mixed system should be noted, namely that under this model the majority and proportional voting systems complement each other, one system’s deficiencies are neutralized by the merits of the other, and together they contribute to the most effective and complete account of the interests of all constituents.
According to him, in contrast to the participants in the electoral process, the population of Ukraine at this stage, for the most part, is treating the election calmly. A study of participants of the Ukrainian information space showed the presence of a large number of popular electronic media and their political multi-directionality.
An analysis of the state of Ukrainian electronic media revealed several negative trends, which include: a relatively high degree of media bias, an increasing number of violations of journalists’ rights and legal claims against the media, and instances of pressure applied against journalists, especially at the local level, reads the report.
Tsinker added that some Ukrainian political parties could have been prosecuted in a civilized state for their slogans.
He also said that his organization is ready to work with all participants in the election process in Ukraine. He said that two months ago he received a relevant letter from the head of the Central Election Headquarters of the Batkivschyna United Opposition, Oleksandr Turchynov, but after the ICES was accredited for work at the elections the political force did not show willingness to contact the organization.
The ICES president said the elections should not be declared rigged in advance, and it was incorrect to act according to the principle “if I don’t win, the elections are invalid.”
In turn, Professor of Political Sciences and Advisor to the Parliamentary Group of the Hungarian Socialist Party Dr. Laszlo Kemeny, who came from Georgia, where he is also participating in an election monitoring mission, said that the process is more democratic in Ukraine [than in Georgia].
“They don’t debate in Georgia, there is one ruling party there, and it does not give a chance to anyone else to say a word,” he said.
He also praised the fact that Ukraine invites more observers than, for example, the United States, which often assess the level of democracy in other countries.
Kemeny added that even in Hungary, which is a member of the EU, only representatives of the ruling party could be seen on television, and international observers do not come to the country.
The ICES is a public non-for-profit organization, which was set up in 2005, registered by the UN, and included on the list of international non-governmental organizations endorsing the Declaration of Principles for international election observation and the Code of Conduct for international election observers commemorated October 27, 2005, at the United Nations, New York.
Fifty-five independent experts representing seven countries of the EU, the United States and Israel have been registered from the ICES in Ukraine as of today. The mission includes members of the European Parliament and national parliaments, lawyers, former diplomats, political observers and media representatives, law students. Ten more observers are expected to arrive in Ukraine.
The organization’s long-term mission includes eight experts. The mission will present the second interim report by October 26, 2012.
The mission is funded by the ICES under the Monitoring of the Process of Democratization on the Post-Soviet Space project.
