Draft election code, developed with OSCE support, presented in Ukraine's Parliament

KYIV, 28 April 2010 - A draft unified Election Code, developed with the support of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (PCU), was presented in the Parliament today by the Parliamentary Committee on State Building and Local Self-government.

The presentation of the Draft Election Code, developed by a special working group established in 2008, brought together key stakeholders and experts, including representatives of the parliamentary factions and domestic and international organizations. The participants discussed the draft and provided recommendations for the improvement of election processes in Ukraine.

"Introduction of a unified Election Code was a long-standing recommendation of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and domestic election observers. I am happy to see progress towards fulfilling this recommendation and hope that this work will continue. The OSCE PCU stands ready to provide further assistance for the development of the Election Code," said the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, Ambassador Lubomir Kopaj.

The OSCE PCU supported the drafting process and facilitated communication between relevant actors, including parliamentarians, Central Election Commission members, and experts and representatives of Ukrainian non-governmental organizations.

The elaboration of the Election Code and its presentation was supported as part of the "Assistance in Further Strengthening of Election Processes in Ukraine" project funded by the European Union, the Canadian International Development Agency, the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency, Irish Aid and the Strategic Programme Fund of Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office.