On October 28 parliamentary elections took place in Ukraine. This event became significant one and has summed up the efforts of present-day authority on the way to the democracy development and the adaptation of international standards to the electoral process.
In the light of such events great number of the international observers has arrived to Ukraine. It’s necessary to notice that the mood of international public was quite critical. European media have been overflowed by the information on imprisonment of opposition leaders, undemocratic policy, breaking the law and infringement of freedom of speech. However, each European citizen makes conclusions only having the real facts. That is why the representatives of the European community and the forefathers of the US democracy have received uncommon chance to see the battlefield by their own eyes.
This way, Head of the European Academy for Election Observation Thierry Mariani declared that the Ukrainian parliamentary elections have taken place with the rules of democracy. Necessary to admit that delegation of the European Academy is made up 56 parliamentarians from 12 EU countries.
Member of the European Parliament, observer from European Centre of Geopolitical Analysis Daniel van der Stap named elections in Ukraine as true and fair one. “Comparing with some Western countries elections in Ukraine have been organized even better”, Daniel van der Stap has told noting that Ukrainians could be proud of such elections.
Nevertheless, both Ukrainian and international media are full of critical assessments of the electoral process. The most critical statements were expressed by US Department of State, OSCE, PACE, EPP. Thus, the representative of US Department of State Mark Toner has expressed apprehension about electoral process in Ukraine. He has supported the criticism in the previous reports of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO. In addition he underlined that the USA have negative attitude to the jailing of political prisoners and calls on resolving undemocratic problems in Ukraine as soon as possible.
The fact is that tone of Mark Toner statements is populist and tangential. Such messages are not single so that we are under the impression of cut-and-dried thinking.
For me as for European citizen it is hard to make a conclusion founded only on the statements of the U.S delegation representative, the vice-president of National Fund of Democracy Nadia Duck: “The Ukrainian authority has learnt to hold an election in such way that officially and by the own eyes the observers have not fixed any infringement”. Can you show me if only one real fact in this statement? … Thinking aloud…
It is also necessary to take into account that majority of Ukrainians living abroad mainly in the USA has supported the Right-Radical Party “Svoboda”. This fact amazes: how were radicals with “tarnished reputation” supported in the democratic country? It’s obvious there is patent and dishonest politicization of choice of Ukrainians and support of oppositional forces with use of political engineering. In addition the authoritative European political scientists are discussing the fact of conducting of large-scale information campaign by the US Department of State, OSCE, PACE, EPP and some others directing to recognition of Ukrainian parliamentary elections as illegitimate one. Also their actions have been directed to help and canvassing to Ukrainian opposition that defend interests of those forces in Ukraine.
Taking into account the previous historical experience of World Economic Crisis consequences the population is inclined to radical mood. So that scorning the tragic consequences of formation of fascism in Europe some European forces like EPP have essentially assisted getting of the armed resistance “Svoboda” in the Ukrainian parliament who actively uses and popularizes xenophobia, racism and anti-Semitism in its rhetoric.
Nevertheless, irrespective of verdict previously preparing by the US Department of State, OSCE, PACE, EPP to consider the Ukrainian elections as illegal one, independent international observers recognized that electoral process was being held in Ukraine according to the highest international codes and the national electoral law.
The Chinese mass-media, in particular, news agency “Xinhua”, the newspaper “Jenmin Jibao”, the International Radio of China have made the review of conclusions of the international observers who were present on Sunday parliamentary elections in Ukraine, and remarked that they stated about good appreciation. “The international observers basically estimate the organizational work of elections in “Verhovna Rada of Ukraine” on October, 28 positively”, review is marked.
There is obvious that negative estimations of Ukrainian elections have been prepared in advance and did not require such improbable efforts as over 3000 observers. It could be managed with several representatives of Embassies who would declare about illegitimacy of elections.
The behavior of the Old Europe and the New World reminds some whims of small baby who cannot something do and starts to squeal, but if all was a success they would continue games (it’s about promises to get membership in EU). Such attitude can alienate Ukrainian people from phantasmal idea to join to EU and to reconsider directions of country development, however, together with other friends.
By Anna Shamanska, Prague Post
