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The pre-election campaign starts on Sept. 11. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed a bill of amendments to the law on the election of deputies to the Crimean Supreme Council, local councils and the election of the heads of villages, towns, and cities, reads a statement posted on the president's Web site on Wednesday.

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, voted for the law at an extraordinary session on August 30. The author of the bill is Regions Party MP Oleksandr Yefremov.

The law, in particular, extends the opportunity to participate in local elections to all properly-registered parties, not only those registered more than a year before the elections.

Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn said that Yefremov's bill also included a proposal by Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense MP Ruslan Kniazevych that citizens who reached 18 years of age on Election Day had the right to participate in the elections.

He also said that the bill excluded the demand that candidates provide 9x12 photos, leaving 4x6 photos, "because where will village deputies take 9x12 photos?"

The explanatory note to Yefremov's bill reads that "based on the need to bring the law into line with democratic international standards," it is proposed "to remove restrictions regarding the possibility of participating in the local elections for the local branches of political parties set up later than 365 days before Election Day, and to grant the right to all local branches of political parties to nominate their candidates."

It is also proposed "to change the principle for changing the staff of territorial electoral commissions, increase the staff of territorial electoral commissions to eighteen people, and to provide the right to submit nominations for the formation of territorial electoral commissions not only to the local branches of political parties represented in the Verkhovna Rada of the current convocation, but to all local branches of political parties registered in Ukraine."

Yefremov proposed "determining a clear procedure for the selection of candidates for territorial electoral commissions, which will include 15 people from the local branches of political parties represented in the Verkhovna Rada of the current convocation, as well as three people representing the local branches of political parties who will be chosen by the drawing of lots."

The explanatory note also says that "with the goal of the unambiguous interpretation of the provisions of the law by all subjects of the electoral process and the improvement of its wording," it was proposed to introduce other technical amendments to the law.

At the same time, Andriy Mahera has said some provisions of the law on local elections might be challenged at the Constitutional Court.

"I leave open a possibility that the Constitutional Court might consider the law, if at least 45 Ukrainian MPs appeal against its unconstitutionality," Mahera told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

"I'm not sure if we can expect the Constitutional Court's confirmation of constitutionality of the law. There are many doubtful issues," he added.

According to him, this particularly refers to election of 50 percent of the membership of district and regional councils under a proportional system.

"For example, the way of electing district and regional councils should correspond to the Constitution of Ukraine. According to the constitution, district and regional councils do not just represent local government agencies, they have to represent the joint interests of territorial communities in villages and towns," he said.

In addition, he said he was convinced that the Constitutional Court might disagree with the provision under which candidates cannot independently run to be city mayors. The election campaign of the forthcoming local elections begins on September 11, and the Central Election Commission will officially announce this at a meeting on September 3, Andriy Mahera has said.

Asked about main problems that might appear during organization of the elections, he answered that this would mainly concern the staff of election commissions.

"First of all, this refers to the staff of the election commissions. Let's hope that the political parties will put forward competent candidates to work in territorial election commissions," he said.

Mahera also expressed hope that the Central Election Commission would not face financial problems.

"Speaking about other problems, you already know that numerous times I've talked about the law on local elections, which has been approved, is raw and not ready," he said.

Mahera also said that according to the law, the Central Election Commission would have to form regional, district and city territorial election commissions. According to him, a total number of these commissions will be about 700.

He also expressed hope that the commission would be able to complete this task in time.

"We haven't much time, and in fact, I'd say this task is rather complicated and problematic. But, in general, I suppose we just have to cope with it," he said. The local elections in Ukraine are scheduled for October 31.


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