The European Commission delegation has noted Ukraine’s high preparedness for the October 31 presidential elections.
“Technically, everything has been done for successful polling on Election Day,” head of the European Commission delegation Thierry Mariani told a press conference last Thursday. However, in the view of the delegation that comprised national parliament members of Germany, Belgium, France, Britain, OSCE, and the Council of Europe, presidential candidates in Ukraine still have unequal access to the mass media. The head of the foreign observers’ group also noted that the only open question about the course of the elections was the problem of voting by Ukrainians abroad. Assessing democratic achievements in Ukraine, Mr. Mariani pointed out, among other things, “As to the Ukrainian democracy that is only thirteen years old, it is still far from being perfect. But the progress you’ve made is impressive.”
The delegation did not confine its visit to Kyiv alone: some of its members also visited Ukraine’s western and eastern regions. They met fifteen candidates for president and, before that, Mr. Mariani had spoken to Volodymyr Syvkovych, chair of the ad hoc parliamentary commission investigating the poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko. Asked by journalists about this meeting, the delegation head said, “I personally came to the following conclusion: there is no evidence today that Mr. Yushchenko was deliberately poisoned, nor is there any proof that he was not poisoned.”
Ensuring fair and transparent elections is not the task of foreign observers — it is the duty of all the candidates for president. At last, this is the opinion of British Parliament member Tom Cox. The MP noted that the conclusions of foreign observers and the course of the elections would have a direct bearing on Ukraine’s image and European prospects. “The presidential candidates, as well as the political parties they represent, must be aware of their obligations to the citizens of Ukraine. So they should do their best to ensure fair elections and further development of dem ocracy,” he said.
The delegation members disclosed their further plans, noting that their work will reach a peak in the three days before the October 31 elections. Now they are trying to collect as much information as possible about the ongoing election campaign.
