International observers note openness of local elections in Ukraine
Kyiv, November 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Observers from the For Fair Elections international public organization promoting the development of electoral technologies, have said that the October 31 local elections in Ukraine were open and democratic.
"It was a routine smooth process... This routine demonstrates one characteristic thing: they [the elections] were quite open. The work of the electoral commissions could also be described as open," a representative of the mission of observers, lawyer Sergei Mirzoev (Russia), said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.
While assessing the work of the electoral commissions in Odesa and Odesa region, where he monitored the voting process, Mirzoev noted the possibility of "watching live the entire process of counting the preliminary results of voting."
The observer also said that minor violations had been reported in Odesa region, such as the use of campaigning materials on Election Day, and the accent of some political forces on the possibility of fraud.
"In Odesa, there was a very high degree of political competition," Mirzoev said.
While summing up the election process in the region, the Russian lawyer said: "In my opinion, in Odesa region and in Odesa, the elections were conducted on a competitive basis and were open. The preliminary conclusions are legitimate and logical."
Mission representative and political scientist Anna Curdova (the Czech Republic), in turn, noted the democratic nature of the local elections in Ukraine.
"I saw a good democratic election process. Everything went well, [and] according to the law," she said.