PRESS RELEASE: Kick off Democracy
Open letter to the people of Ukraine
Over the next few weeks your country will be the proud co-host of the Euro 2012 football championship and under the international media spotlight. It is my hope and conviction that the thousands of visitors who will come to Ukraine will be given a warm welcome and that the Euro 2012 championship will change the public image of Ukraine in the eyes of the world.
The European Union and its Member States have extended the hand of friendship to your country by demonstrating a readiness to engage on free trade, visa free travel and to assist the Ukrainian authorities in modernizing and reforming your laws public services to meet the challenges of 21 century.
The ball however is now in Ukraine's court. Democratic standards, independence of the judiciary, respect for human rights and an unyielding respect for the rule of law are all prerequisites for EU-Ukraine relations to progress further and for guaranteeing that the people of Ukraine are treated as citizens and not subjects. Recent developments paint a worrisome picture.
The jailing of political opponents, worsening business and media climate and systemic corruption are evidence that the citizens of Ukraine are being denied the fundamental right of being able to live in a country where authorities server the people and where the constitutional order is respected by both politicians and officials alike.
On the 28 October 2012 Ukrainians will be able to cast their votes in elections to the Parliament which represent a make-or-break moment in EU-Ukraine relations, but more importantly for you, the people of Ukraine, it has to be another solid building block in your democracy. It is vital that elections are, and are seen to be, both free and fair and in compliance with all international standards.
On behalf of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in European Parliaments and those liberal minded Ukrainian politicians that have recently (25-26 May 2012) gathered in Odessa to discuss the European integration prospects of Ukraine, I have written to the Foreign Ministers of all EU members states and to the High Representative calling for the setting up, before the summer recess, of a comprehensive election monitoring and support mechanism, jointly managed by the European Union, the Council of Europe and the OSCE.
We propose that traditional election monitoring efforts should commence at are very early stage and that the election observation mission should be complemented by an advisory team which can support the Ukrainian election authorities to live up to their duties. Responsibility for the systemic weakness of democracy in Ukraine is not only due to the party currently in power, but also the opposition.
We must all work together to make sure that, when the euphoria of the football championship is over, the people of Ukraine emerge the true winners from the October elections.
www.alde.eu
Guy VERHOFSTADT President of the Liberal and Democrat European Parliament
Link: http://epu.in.ua/ukr/news_view.php?id=588