Tuesday, May 20 2014

 Presidential elections conducted in democratic and transparent way are
key elements for the normalization of the situation in Ukraine. Support of our
international partners is crucial. In spite of unprecedented number of security
challenges to our country, there are practically all organizational and legal
grounds for holding elections. Citizens of Ukraine who live in the occupied
peninsula have an opportunity to vote in other parts of Ukraine. Russia
undertakes all actions to disrupt elections and thus continue escalation.
Current legislation foresees enough preconditions when results of the elections
are set and President is elected.

 

General Political Aspects

 

Early presidential elections will take place on legislatively set date –
25 May 2014.

21 candidates for the post of the President of Ukraine are registered to
take part in the elections. Candidates represent all regions of Ukraine and
wide political spectrum.

114 polling
stations were established in foreign electoral district.

Ukraine is interested in holding elections in free, transparent and
democratic manner, in full compliance with international standards with the
maximum presence of international observers.      

High
number of international observers is expected to be present
at the elections. As of 16 May 2014 Central Electoral Commission registered
1375 international observers: 1319 representing international organizations, 56
– countries. In particular, Observers from Canada, Lithuania, USA, France, Japan,
Turkey, OSCE ODIHR, Parliamentary Assemblies of the OSCE, Black Sea Economic
Cooperation, Ukrainian World Congress, and Congressional Ukrainian Caucus have
already been registered. Respective observation missions will be also sent by
the European Parliament, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, NATO
and GUAM etc.

Long-term OSCE ODIHR electoral observation mission on monitoring early
presidential elections in Ukraine started its work on 19 March. It is expected
that over 900 short-term observers will be present at the polling stations.

The election of the President is
one of the main preconditions for further development of Ukraine and is key
step to normalization and stabilization of the situation in the country. Any
calls to disrupt or to postpone the election should be seen as attempts to
prevent stabilization of the internal processes in Ukraine.    

Elections in the Autonomous Republic of
Crimea and in the East of Ukraine  

Presidential campaign 2014 is conducted in times of social and political tensions,
security challenges which Ukraine faces for the first time in its modern
history. In spite of this enough legal and organizational ground for holding
elections and its democratic manner is not questioned. Preparations for the
elections are conducted in accordance with calendar plans set by the Central
Electoral Commission and are almost finished.  

Current
national legislation on
the elections of
the President of
Ukraine envisions that the results of
the elections are
set in spite
of the number
of electoral polls/electoral precincts where voting didn’t take
place or wasn’t organized.

All necessary actions to hold
presidential elections at the territory of Ukraine are enforced except for the
territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Establishment of electoral
commissions had almost been terminated. With the view to temporary occupation
of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia, there are no district electoral commissions
established there.  In accordance with
current legislation of Ukraine elections at the temporarily occupied territory
are neither organized nor hold. At the same time, citizens of Ukraine who live in the occupied
peninsula, have opportunities to vote at the Presidential elections in Kherson
region which neighbors Crimea, or at any polling station in the territory of
Ukraine.

With the view to activity of armed terrorist groups,
all necessary actions are undertaken and they are aimed to secure electoral
process, members of the electoral commissions and electoral documentations, and
to conduct elections at the whole territory of Ukraine.  

With the view to the complex security situation in Donetsk and Lugansk
regions, on May 15 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted amendments to the Law
of Ukraine on the Elections of the President of Ukraine. These provisions
envisage: strengthening, if necessary, the protection of ballots and other
election documents during their transportation from the precinct and district
electoral commissions to the electoral commissions of higher level; increasing
the time specified by law for the transfer of the preliminary voter lists by
the State Voter Register to the precinct electoral commissions; increasing
protection of electoral commissions in their locations; possibility for
regional administrations to change the location of the respective electoral
commissions, if necessary.

In spite of difficult situation in both regions, the Law of Ukraine “On
the Elections of the President of Ukraine” creates enough preconditions to set
the results of the elections and the election of the President of Ukraine.

International Aspects  

Ukrainian side highly appreciates unanimous support of
the international community, including the vast majority of the UN Security
Council members on specific importance of free and democratic presidential
elections in Ukraine on 25 May 2014 for de-escalation of current situation in
our country.

Russian Federation is the only country whose official representatives had numerously not recognized the elections of 25 May 2014 or questioned its legitimate outcomes. This country is interested in further escalation of the situation
around Ukraine.  

Russian Federation undertakes
all actions to destabilize situation in our country and disrupt elections of
the President of Ukraine. The decision of Russia to conduct military exercise
next to our border right on the date of early presidential elections should be
also envisions in similar tones.

It is time to call on all countries to support
democratic and free nature of the elections of the President of Ukraine and
strongly condemn Russian actions aimed to disrupt elections of the President of
Ukraine.