OSCE/ODIHR issues its recommendations for the repeat second round presidential election in Ukraine
(OSCE/Rasto Kuzel)International observers hold a news conference in Kyiv following the second round of the presidential election in Ukraine, 22 November 2004. (OSCE/Rasto Kuzel) Photo details
WARSAW, 6 December 2004 - The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) issued a set of recommendations today that calls on the authorities of Ukraine to address a number of issues of concern prior to the re-run of the second round of the presidential election scheduled for 26 December.
These include a need to reconfigure the Ukrainian Central Election Commission, as well as the lower level commissions.
"I echo the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, in calling on the Ukrainian authorities to ensure that the next round of voting is conducted in line with OSCE commitments, so that the will of the people of Ukraine can be expressed freely and fairly through a genuine election," said the Director of the ODIHR, Ambassador Christian Strohal.
"It is essential that trust in the election administration be restored quickly," he added. "To achieve this, the composition of the Central Election Commission needs to be modified, retaining only those members who enjoy the confidence of the major political groupings."
In its preliminary recommendations, the OSCE/ODIHR calls on the Ukrainian authorities to address, within the short timeframe available, a number of aspects of the electoral process. These include the performance of the election administration, transparency and accountability of the procedures for voter registration, printing of ballots, voting, counting, tabulation and announcement of results, and international and domestic election observation.
The OSCE/ODIHR's Election Observation Mission will remain in Ukraine until the electoral process has been completed and will issue a final report approximately one month thereafter.
These include a need to reconfigure the Ukrainian Central Election Commission, as well as the lower level commissions.
"I echo the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, in calling on the Ukrainian authorities to ensure that the next round of voting is conducted in line with OSCE commitments, so that the will of the people of Ukraine can be expressed freely and fairly through a genuine election," said the Director of the ODIHR, Ambassador Christian Strohal.
"It is essential that trust in the election administration be restored quickly," he added. "To achieve this, the composition of the Central Election Commission needs to be modified, retaining only those members who enjoy the confidence of the major political groupings."
In its preliminary recommendations, the OSCE/ODIHR calls on the Ukrainian authorities to address, within the short timeframe available, a number of aspects of the electoral process. These include the performance of the election administration, transparency and accountability of the procedures for voter registration, printing of ballots, voting, counting, tabulation and announcement of results, and international and domestic election observation.
The OSCE/ODIHR's Election Observation Mission will remain in Ukraine until the electoral process has been completed and will issue a final report approximately one month thereafter.