13:07 03.10.2012

Canada troubled by irregularities in Ukrainian electoral campaign

2 min read
Canada troubled by irregularities in Ukrainian electoral campaign

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Minister of International Cooperation Julian Fantino have stated that they are concerned about the irregularities in the electoral campaign in Ukraine noted by the Canadian electoral observation mission in its first interim report.

"The Canadian election observation mission's initial findings regarding the parliamentary election campaign under way in Ukraine are troubling," reads the statement of the ministers distributed by the Embassy of Canada in Ukraine on Wednesday.

The document reads that "free and fair elections that represent the will of the Ukrainian people are still possible. It is not too late."

The ministers called on the Ukrainian authorities to address all irregularities in the electoral process thoroughly and as a matter of immediate priority.

"Canada stands strong as a supporter of the Ukrainian people as they seek to build a nation based on democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law. We will continue to closely monitor further reporting from electoral observers on the ground as the Ukrainian parliamentary elections approach, and will continue to raise these issues with the government of Ukraine," reads the statement.

The observation mission's report outlines a range of concerns with the present campaign, including allegations of restrictions on media freedom, procedural irregularities, incidents of vote-buying and undue pressure on candidates and campaign staff.

Mission Canada–Ukraine Elections 2012 is deploying 65 long-term and 365 short-term observers to monitor the October 28 parliamentary elections in Ukraine.

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