International observers critical of new electoral norms

Observers from the National Democratic Institute which is based in Washington have pointed to regressive steps in Ukrainian electoral legislation.  The international experts warn that new norms of the law on voting at home and registration by State Border Guard Service officials of voters travelling outside Ukraine could lead to vote rigging or chaos during the early parliamentary elections.

The observers were generally positive about the election campaign, saying that it was transparent and democratic. 

However, member of the observer mission Martin Frost is convinced that problems will arise over the lack of absentee voter ballot papers, the confused system of home voting and the confused system for voting in the case of people returning from abroad within three days of the elections.

“These norms represent a step backwards from the progress achieved for the last more democratic elections”,

The observers also expressed concern over the excessive politicization of the Central Election Commission. They even predict that the party allegiance of members of the Commission could influence the reliability of the outcome of the voting.