Final word - Jan. 10, 2013

Final word

Published Jan. 10, 2013 at 11:30 pm

Photo by kyivpost

The 57-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe issued its final report on Ukraine’s Oct. 28 parliamentary election. Its findings should dispel any illusions by the pro-presidential Party of Regions that the vote met the nation’s international commitments for democracy. They did not, and Ukraine’s leaders would be wise to heed the criticism, especially as it goes on to chair the OSCE this year. The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights “concludes the elections were characterized by the lack of a level playing field, and recommends measures to improve the transparency and impartiality of the election process.” Aside from the exclusion of top opposition leaders, led by imprisoned ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, from participating in the election, the report found other problems.

Among the recommendations highlighted in the Jan. 3 report:

Need for transparency, impartiality and independence of election commissions.”

Strengthening of institutions to prevent abuse of official resources;

Transforming the National Television Company into an independent public-service broadcaster;

Full disclosure of sources and amounts of contributions and expenditures.

Simplified vote tabulation procedures and “publication of detailed preliminary election results by the Central Election Commission on its website, broken down by polling station, prior to the determination of the final election results. The entire report can be found on the OSCE/ODIHR website here: http://www.osce.org/odihr/98578.

Ukraine has two years to go before the next presidential election, which will provide another test of President Viktor Yanukovych’s democratic credentials. He has failed most of these tests so far. He appears headed to fail more of them, unless he calls a halt to political persecution and commits himself to democratic institutions.

The final word on the 2012 parliamentary election is that, despite being an unfair contest, voters sent a clear message to Yanukovych that his ruling party is unpopular and should change course for the sake of the nation.