Ukraine's Ex-President Gives Positive Prognosis for Upcoming Elections

KYIV, Ukraine, August 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The President of Ukraine (2005 - 2010) Viktor Yushchenko expressed an opinion that the parliamentary elections, to be held in Ukraine on October 28^th, would be largely fair. Yushchenko made this statement in an interview with Segodnya, when asked whether the Ukrainian nation would go out in the streets to protest against the results of the elections.

The former Ukrainian president reckoned that the ruling political force had vested interests in holding relatively fair elections. Yushchenko also noted that the autumn parliamentary elections would test the maturity of the Ukrainian society and establish the core values for the political line of the country for the next five years, he said.

Notably, the hope that parliamentary elections in Ukraine would be democratic was earlier expressed by the Prime Minister of Luxemburg Jean-Claude Juncker and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Karel Schwarzenberg. Juncker named the upcoming elections a chance for Ukraine to comply with the right principles.

At the beginning of August 2012, Canadian government expressed desire to assist in holding fair and democratic elections in Ukraine by sending a delegation of short- and long-term observers. Canada's Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said that Canada would help Ukraine meet its objectives of "transparency and more accountable government", reports The Star.

In July 2012, the Ukrainian parliament ruled to equip most polling stations with web-cameras. The installation of the web-cameras at the voting stations will enable anyone with internet access to watch elections in Ukraine in real time. According to the new law, the cameras may not interfere with the secret ballot system and the freedom of voting.

In August 2012, Libor Rouček, MEP, with regard to the upcoming parliamentary elections in Ukraine noted that "everyone should have the opportunity to make sure that the elections are direct, honest and transparent," reports Xinhua.

In April 2012, Michał Tomasz Kaminski, MEP, said that elections could not be a factor for instability in Ukraine. The actual fact of the elections taking place is a very European practice, he said. "I think they [elections] will be fair, and the winner will form the majority [in the parliament]," he added.