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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS: The 26 October early parliamentary elections marked an important step in consolidating democratic elections in line with international commitments, and were characterized by many positive aspects, including an impartial and efficient Central Election Commission (CEC), competitive contests that offered voters real choice, and general respect for fundamental freedoms, international observers concluded in apreliminary statement released today, Armenpress reports citing the OSCE website.
The new parliament should ensure that key reforms are passed, and grievances should be resolved with respect for the rule of law and through democratic institutions, the observers said.
“At this crucial moment for the future of their country, Ukraine’s institutions and voters responded to daunting challenges with an election that largely upheld democratic commitments,” said Kent Härstedt, the Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission. “That response and, in particular, the authorities’ determination to enable voting in as many areas of the country as possible, demonstrate a resilience that will help the country overcome its national and international challenges.”
In most of the country, election day proceeded calmly, with few disturbances and only isolated security incidents reported. The voting process was well-organized and orderly and was assessed positively in 99 per cent of the polling stations observed, although some procedural irregularities were identified, including during the counting and the early stages of the tabulation processes. Due to the efforts of the election administration to ensure voting in as much of the east as possible under extraordinary circumstances, including through simplified procedures allowing voters to temporarily transfer their voting address, voting took place in 12 out of 21 election districts in the Donetsk region, and in 5 out of 11 in the Luhansk region.
Candidates were generally free to campaign in what was a competitive and visible campaign environment. While largely peaceful, there was a marked increase in violence in the last ten days of the campaign, including cases of intimidation, threats and the targeted destruction of campaign property. The observers noted that no intolerant speech targeting national minorities was used during campaigning, despite the prevalence of nationalistic campaign rhetoric.
“The elections clearly showed the resolve of the Ukrainian society for change – the people have chosen Europe and peace,” said Andrej Plenković, Head of the EP delegation. “The new Rada and the future Government will have the responsibility to embark on the ambitious European reform agenda and the reintegration of the entire Ukrainian territory. The European Union and the European Parliament will support Ukraine throughout this process.”
According to the OSCE report, the media environment was dynamic and diverse and offered voters a broad range of views. However, media autonomy and independent reporting were in some cases inhibited by political or business interests, and some private media outlets demonstrated bias in their campaign coverage. The ongoing hostilities in the east jeopardized journalists’ safety and prevented the transmission of Ukrainian broadcasts, while steps taken to prevent certain channels from broadcasting alleged propaganda remain in place. In a positive step, election debates between political parties were held for the first time and broadcast on national television.
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