You're reading: OPORA: Elections not in accordance with international standards

Editor’s Note: The following statement was issued late on Nov. 4 by the U.S. funded OPORA, one of the largest election monitoring groups during the Oct. 31 local elections.

Civic Network OPORA is a nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization. OPORA’s 177 long-term observers (LTOs) observed the pre-election environment beginning September 11 across 24 oblasts and the Autonomous Region Crimea. On October 31, OPORA deployed 1428 short-term observers to join the LTOs. Among the STOs, 1003 were deployed to precinct election commissions (PECs) and 425 to territorial election commissions (TECs). OPORA will conclude its election observation after the official results are publicized.

Local elections in Ukraine were not conducted in accordance with international standards and did not comply with good practices of election organization and conduct. OPORA bases its conclusion on long-term and short-term observation, the criteria and principles of democratic elections, as stated in documents of the Venice Commission, Copenhagen Committee the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)