Ukraine’s President: New Election Law Complies With Democratic Standards

KYIV, Ukraine, December 8, 2011 -

“Domestic and foreign experts participated in the developing of the new law [on the parliamentary elections in Ukraine - ed.], it meets global democratic standard and honors respective international commitments,” stated the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych today while signing the law regulating parliamentary elections in Ukraine passed by the parliament on November 17, 2011.

The President of Ukraine saluted the consolidation of the political parties represented in the Ukrainian parliament. He supported the opinions voiced by the members of the opposition about the new law securing democratic and transparent elections in Ukraine.

The new law was voted in by 366 members of the parliament (out of 404 present at the session). After the voting numerous MPs noted that the new legal document would prevent the falsification of the results of the elections.

“Today’s decision is a victory of the opposition,” declared Ruslan Knyazevych who headed the parliamentary commission responsible for the draft law. “We got a law that virtually nullifies the chance of mass falsification and distortion of the people’s will,” he emphasized. MP Sergiy Mishchenko of Batkivshchyna (Notably, Yulia Tymoshenko is one of the leaders of the party.) reckoned that the MPs were choosing between a falsified election and a transparent electoral system.

The new election law reestablished mixed electoral system in Ukraine with election threshold set at 5 percent. The ruling parliament has been elected through proportional vote with 3 percent threshold. According to the new electoral system, 225 MPs being elected through party lists and 225 MPs - through single-member constituencies.

The new law establishes that no blocks of political parties are allowed to participate in the elections. The document also stipulates for the exclusion of the option of not supporting any party or candidate.

The newly signed election law is based on a draft law elaborated by a work group formed by the President of Ukraine. The Venice Commission provided expertize for that draft.

A majority rule was used in Ukraine since the declaration of its independence in 1991 and till the introduction of the mixed electoral system in 1997. The Ukrainian parliament adopted a proportional electoral system in 2006 only to make new changes in five years.

For more information, please contact Maria Ivanova +380443324784 news at wnu-ukraine.com, Project Manager at Worldwide News Ukraine.