Appeal of Sevastopol human rights protecting group.

During the presentation of the Sevastopol town public headquarters of candidate to President’s post V. Yanukovich the reports were read out “on the activities of coordinators of districts, parties, religious confessions, on relations with mass media, etc.”

The fact that the public headquarters of V. Yanukovich listen to the reports of the pre-concerted actions of “coordinators” from “religious confessions” evidences on violation of the principles of legality of election process.

In accordance with part 8 of Article 5 of the Law of Ukraine “On freedom of consciousness and religious organizations”, religious organizations have no right to take part in the activities of political parties and carry out agitation. Any Ukrainian Churches, any religious organization may not participate in election process and the political life of the country as a whole. Involvement of the Church in the election process is inadmissible, because it contradicts the constitutional principle of separation of the Church and religious organization from the state (part 3 of Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine). The Church is not a political organization and it may not take part in the election campaign. Involvement of religious organizations in the election races, use of their dependent state is not only illegal, but also immoral.

The election process should be realized on the basis of principles of legality and prohibition of illegal meddling in this process, unbiased attitude of organizations and their leaders to candidates to the post of the President of Ukraine (part 2, items 1 and 7 of Article 11 of the Law of Ukraine “On election of the President of Ukraine”).

We are turning with the open appeal on the observance of principles of superiority of right by the participants of election process and urge to the conduction of honest election.

Sevastopol human rights protecting group