The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry hopes that foreign partners will help strengthen the foundations of competitive democracy in Ukraine.
"The Foreign Ministry hopes that the United States as well as other foreign partners will contribute to the success of the work aimed at the strengthening of principles of Ukraine’s competitive democracy," Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ruslan Demchenko said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
The deputy minister also commented on the statement by the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Philip Gordon, about the undemocratic conduct of the local elections in Ukraine: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, believes that the press release of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv dated Nov. 3 2010 contains a more comprehensive assessment of the Oct. 31 local elections in Ukraine by the U.S. government."
He recalled that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych set a clear goal – to present for public consideration by May 2011 the wording of the Electoral Code, which will unify the election laws and will allow holding the elections at all levels in accordance with the highest democratic standards.
"Ukraine’s leadership has invited European and American experts to join the activities of an ad hoc group on improvement of electoral legislation, which was set up by Yanukovych’s order," the diplomat noted.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Gordon said that the Oct. 31 local elections in Ukraine didn’t meet the standards of openness and fairness that applied to the 2010 presidential election.
