OSCE/ODIHR starts observing parliamentary elections in Ukraine

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR) has officially opened its mission for the observation of the parliamentary elections in Ukraine.

"The upcoming elections will be an important challenge for Ukraine from the viewpoint of democracy, and they will be held according to the new law," the head of the mission, Audrey Glover, said at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday.

She said that 20 experts from the organization will work in Kyiv, and 90 long-term observers will work all over Ukraine. The ODIHR will employ 600 short-term observers to watch the process of counting votes on the voting day.

Glover thanked the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine for sending an invitation to observers in advance, as this will allow the mission to monitor the election campaign and the situation on October 28 and after the day of vote.

The ODIHR mission is planning to publish two intermediate reports and make a statement with preliminary conclusions on the election process on the day after the vote, while the final report will be published within two months of the completion of the parliamentary elections in Ukraine.

She added that the mission would pay special attention to use of administrative leverage, as well as the free work of the media during the elections.

When asked how the mission evaluates the fact that convicted formed Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tymoshenko and former Interior Minister of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko were not included on the party list of the united opposition, Glover said that equal electoral rights are a must of democratic elections. According to her, the mission will read instructions of PACE and the European Parliament, and will take these documents into account while drawing up its conclusions.