ODIHR starts observation for Ukrainian parliamentary elections

WARSAW/KYIV, 25 January 2006 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights has established an election observation mission for the 26 March parliamentary elections in Ukraine. This follows an invitation from the Ukrainian authorities.

The mission, headed by Ambassador Lubomir Kopaj of Slovakia, consists of 12 international staff based in Kyiv and 50 long-term observers deployed in the regions. The experts and long-term observers are drawn from 21 OSCE participating States.

The observation mission will assess the electoral process in terms of its compliance with OSCE commitments for democratic elections, and international standards, as well as national legislation. It will also focus on the election campaign, the legislative framework and its implementation, the media situation, the work of the election administration and relevant government bodies, and the resolution of election-related disputes.

While the OSCE/ODIHR will not observe the local elections, which are scheduled for the same day as the parliamentary election, it may comment on issues related to local election to the extent they impact on the parliamentary election process.

The ODIHR has requested 600 short-term observers to be deployed immediately prior to the 26 March election. They will work in teams of two, monitoring the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results. It is expected that these observers will be joined by delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.

The ODIHR Election Observation Mission and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, headed by Ambassador James F. Schumaker, operate separately under their specific mandates.