CIS-EMO observers record fewer irregularities in run-off presidential election in Ukraine

Kyiv, February 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Representatives from the international observation mission of the CIS Election Monitoring Organization (CIS-EMO) have said that the number of irregularities reported in the second round of Ukraine's presidential election was smaller than in the first.

"In general, we have a rather favorable impression of the run-off presidential election. A significantly smaller number of violations were registered compared to the first round, and this surprised us a bit," CIS-EMO Mission Chief Alexei Kochetkov said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Monday.

He also said the preliminary expectations of mission observers was that "everything won't go as smoothly as it did [in the first round]."

Kochetkov said that major drawbacks recorded in the second round included the bad quality of electoral rolls and cases of "family voting" in western Ukraine.

"We registered the cases of so-called 'family voting' when one person received ballots under four passports," he said.

"In general, we're satisfied with what we've seen," he said, making a summarized assessment of the course of the run-off presidential election.