The Ukrainian Central Election Commission (CEC) has ruled out the possibility of postponing early parliamentary elections scheduled for Oct. 26, including in the east of the country, the CEC's press service has reported.
CEC Chairman Mykhailo Okhendovsky said this on Monday at a meeting with a delegation of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AEKR) headed by its secretary general, Daniel Hannan. The meeting was also attended by the head of the European Parliament’s security and defense subcommittee, Anna Fotyga.
When asked by alliance representatives regarding the possible postponement of early parliamentary elections in east Ukraine, Okhendovsky said: “The Central Election Commission is not even considering this issue.”
“Early parliamentary elections are scheduled for Oct. 26, 2014. And we have no doubt that they will be held on this day throughout Ukraine. The exception is only the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea and Sevastopol, where, in accordance with the law, the elections won’t be held,” he said.
Okhendovsky also noted that the commission excludes the possibility of discrimination on the registration of candidates for deputies and the participation in the elections of opposition political forces and individual candidates who will run in single-member constituencies. In addition, he drew attention to the equality of access to the media for the purpose of election campaigning by all political parties and candidates running in single-member constituencies.
Hannan, in turn, noted that the holding of democratic elections in Ukraine was extremely important to AEKR, the European Parliament and the whole European community. And, in his opinion, the Ukrainian Central Election Commission will be able to effectively to ensure the holding of early parliamentary elections, in line with domestic legislation and international standards.
