ENEMO: Ukraine parliamentary elections competitive but election process adversaly affected by serious violations

Politics
30 October 2012, 15:24

During the press-conference held at UNIAN news agency, European Network of Elections Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) presented its preliminary findings and conclusions. Ms. Maja Milikic, Deputy Head of the ENEMO Mission to Ukraine stated: “ENEMO was the first mission to deploy long-term observers in Ukraine. On Election Day 86 ENEMO observers monitored opening, voting, counting of votes, transfer of protocols to the district election commissions and tabulation process throughout the country.”

ENEMO international observation mission to Ukraine has noted that parliamentary elections held on October 28, 2012 were competitive, offering voters choice between various political parties and candidates, however, election campaign and polling day were negatively affected by serious flaws and violations. Mr. Peter Novotny, Head of the Mission stated: “Compared to previous 2006 and 2007 parliamentary elections, ENEMO mission observed in the pre-election period significantly higher number of campaign violations, abuse of administrative resources, voter bribery, harassment and intimidation of candidates and campaign workers and intimidation of journalists. The political landscape of 2012 elections was also influenced by imprisonment of two prominent opposition figures, Yulia Tymoshenko and Yuriy Lutsenko.”

The new election legislation also opened space for “technical parties” to win excessive membership in district election commissions and to organize system of massive replacements. Mr. Elmir Camic, LTO Coordinator concluded: “As a result, the work of district election commission was negatively affected by high number of replacements by technical parties and by partisan confrontation. Cases of pressure, closed door sessions, limited access for observers to decisions and documents raised serious concerns about transparency and integrity of DEC work.” ENEMO noted necessity for systematic training of election commission members at all levels.

ENEMO 2012 Parliamentary elections observation mission to Ukraine is financially supported by the United States Government, United Kingdom Government, German Foreign Office, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kingdom of Norway and Black Sea Trust.

You can find full ENEMO preliminary report here 

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