You're reading: Ukrainian parliament rejects bill on organizational aspects of early parliamentary elections

 Ukrainian lawmakers did not back a bill on measures to organize and hold early parliamentary elections in a first-reading debate on Sept. 2, casting only 134 votes in its favor instead of the required 226.

The bill envisions measures to tighten the security of polling stations, to guarantee the safe transportation of ballot papers and other documents to high-level election commissions, regional administrations’ right to change the location of polling stations and the Central Election Commission’s right to cancel unused ballot papers by destroying them at the manufacturing company.

The bill would also cut budget spending on early parliamentary elections by scrapping the financing of canvassing campaigns through the media, and introduce the practice of disseminating information about the elections on the Central Election Commission’s website, not through the media.

Davyd Zhvania, chairman of the Committee for State Development and Local Self-Government, who presented the bill, said the bill would have helped save UAH 100 million in budget funding if it had been passed.

If the bill is finally rejected, elections will be held in compliance with current legislation.

Ukrainian early parliamentary elections have been slated for Oct. 26.