OSCE Project Co-ordinator facilitates regional discussion of local election legislation

ODESSA, Ukraine, 23 June 2010 - A two-day expert meeting to discuss reform of Ukraine's local elections legislation started in Odessa today.

The event, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (PCU), gathered members of Parliament, members of the Central Election Commission, representatives of local authorities and local and international election legislation experts to analyze existing legislation and prepare recommendations for its development.

"The OSCE continues to support Ukraine in its efforts to improve election legislation in line with recommendations by international election observation organizations," said Ambassador Lubomir Kopaj, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine.

"An open discussion will contribute to the creation of a legal basis for conducting elections in Ukraine in line with international standards for democratic elections."

The event is organized as part of the "Assistance in Further Strengthening of Election Processes in Ukraine" project funded by the European Union, the Canadian International Development Agency, the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency, Irish Aid and the Strategic Programme Fund of Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office.