President of Ukraine to Meet the Opposition to Ensure Transparency of October 31 Elections

KIEV, Ukraine, October 21, 2010 - The President of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych announced he will
hold a meeting with the representatives of the opposition parties to ensure
the transparency of the October 31 local elections. This statement from the
Ukrainian Head of State came today during his meeting with the governors of
Ukraine's regions devoted to the upcoming local elections. Mr Yanukovych
stressed that the executive power must not interfere with the electoral
process and that it has a duty to assist all political forces without
exception.

During the meeting President Yanukovych stated that the
upcoming local elections, scheduled for October 31, will be a test for the
Ukraine's democracy and that he will react swiftly to any violations of the
electoral process. Mr Yanukovych noted that he is aware of representatives of
the executive power interfering in the elections process and said that this
practice is unacceptable and that he expects the elections to be held in
accordance with the rule of law.

"We have to ensure that our citizens are given an opportunity
to vote without any administrative pressure or interference," said the
President of Ukraine. "Some political forces have lost or are losing the
credibility of the Ukrainian people, and they exaggerate the existing
electoral problems, wishing to justify their low ratings. They do it not only
inside the country but discredit it abroad, they damage the image of our
country," he added.

Responding to such allegations, the President pledged to
remove the principle of political expediency from the electoral process and
stressed that the rule of law will prevail. The President stated that every
governor must have a copy of the law on local elections on their desk to
ensure they work strictly within the framework of law.

For more information, please contact Natalya Shulevskaya, +38-0633776645 news at wnu-ukraine.com, Project Manager at Worldwide News Ukraine