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Preliminary statement on presidential elections in Ukraine
KYIV 15 November 1999
KYIV, 15 November 1999 - The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Election Observation Mission issued a preliminary statement of the observation of the second round of the presidential elections in Ukraine held on 14 November 1999. The statement was also endorsed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
According to the findings of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, the conduct of the campaign for the second round of the presidential election in Ukraine was in breach of the election law and the relevant OSCE commitments on democratic elections and showed no improvement over the first round of the election.
State administration and public officials were again observed campaigning for the President and against his challenger. The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission uncovered clear evidence that this campaign by State institutions was systematic and co-ordinated across the country.
The electronic and State-owned media comprehensively failed to live up to their legal obligation to provide balanced and unbiased reporting on the candidates and the campaign in their news coverage of the second round.
During the second round of these elections voting day procedures according to the law were not followed as closely as they were in the first round. Observers saw instances of more serious violations. Observers in Lviv oblast in particular saw voters given several ballot papers and casting more than one vote in a number of rural polling stations visited. They also noted instances of family voting and breaches of the secrecy of the vote.
No final assessment can be reached until the counting and aggregation of votes have been completed and the official results published. The ODIHR Election Observation Mission will continue to follow developments until the election process is completed. The ODIHR Election Observation Mission will issue a final report in December.
This preliminary statement is based on the findings of 26 ODIHR long-term observers and core staff deployed from 15 September 1999 and 160 international short-term observers. The international observers included eight members and staff from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, individuals sent from OSCE participating States, members of the diplomatic community in Ukraine as well as other international organizations present in the country, representing in total 26 participating States. The PACE delegation was led by Ms. Hanne Severinsen M.P. (Denmark) and the ODIHR Election Observation Mission was headed by Mr. Simon Osborn (UK).
MEDIA CONTACT: Simon Osborn, Head of the ODIHR Election Observation Mission in Ukraine, tel.: +380 44 220 14 69, fax: +380 44 229 77 77, or Elsa Fenet, ODIHR/Warsaw, tel.: +48 22 520 06 00, fax: +48 22 628 69 67), or John Hartland and Pavel Chevtchenko, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, tel.: +33 3 88 41 38 35, fax: +33 3 88 41 27 17.
According to the findings of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, the conduct of the campaign for the second round of the presidential election in Ukraine was in breach of the election law and the relevant OSCE commitments on democratic elections and showed no improvement over the first round of the election.
State administration and public officials were again observed campaigning for the President and against his challenger. The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission uncovered clear evidence that this campaign by State institutions was systematic and co-ordinated across the country.
The electronic and State-owned media comprehensively failed to live up to their legal obligation to provide balanced and unbiased reporting on the candidates and the campaign in their news coverage of the second round.
During the second round of these elections voting day procedures according to the law were not followed as closely as they were in the first round. Observers saw instances of more serious violations. Observers in Lviv oblast in particular saw voters given several ballot papers and casting more than one vote in a number of rural polling stations visited. They also noted instances of family voting and breaches of the secrecy of the vote.
No final assessment can be reached until the counting and aggregation of votes have been completed and the official results published. The ODIHR Election Observation Mission will continue to follow developments until the election process is completed. The ODIHR Election Observation Mission will issue a final report in December.
This preliminary statement is based on the findings of 26 ODIHR long-term observers and core staff deployed from 15 September 1999 and 160 international short-term observers. The international observers included eight members and staff from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, individuals sent from OSCE participating States, members of the diplomatic community in Ukraine as well as other international organizations present in the country, representing in total 26 participating States. The PACE delegation was led by Ms. Hanne Severinsen M.P. (Denmark) and the ODIHR Election Observation Mission was headed by Mr. Simon Osborn (UK).
MEDIA CONTACT: Simon Osborn, Head of the ODIHR Election Observation Mission in Ukraine, tel.: +380 44 220 14 69, fax: +380 44 229 77 77, or Elsa Fenet, ODIHR/Warsaw, tel.: +48 22 520 06 00, fax: +48 22 628 69 67), or John Hartland and Pavel Chevtchenko, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, tel.: +33 3 88 41 38 35, fax: +33 3 88 41 27 17.