President Victor Yushchenko on Friday met with Ambassador Audrey Glover, head of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission to Ukraine, Tone Tingsgaard, OSCE PA vice president and special coordinator of the OSCE PA for the September 30 election, Jan Petersen, head of the NATO PA observation team, Hanne Severinsen, leader of the PACE observation delegation, and Adrian Severin, head of the European Parliament observation mission, according to the President`s press-office.
Yushchenko thanked them for their “high and worthy” mission and said its aim was to guarantee that this week’s election is held in an honest and democratic manner. He reassured them Ukraine would always be open to dialogue and cooperation with international observers.
The president described the upcoming election as a “legitimate, democratic and civilized” means to resolve the country’s long-lasting political crisis and said he had dissolved parliament to put an end to political corruption and attempts to usurp power.
“As Ukraine’s president, I will spare no effort to ensure the Sunday vote is democratic, honest and transparent,” he said.
The heads of observation missions also expressed hopes the ballot would be fair.
They discussed some flaws in the country’s parliamentary election law, particularly its article to ban those who cross the Ukrainian border three days before any election from voting. Yushchenko thinks it is illegal and has asked the Constitutional Court of Ukraine to examine its constitutionality.
Maryna Stavniychuk, President Victor Yushchenko’s representative to the Constitutional Court of Ukraine and the Central Election Commission, and Oleksandr Chalyy, deputy head of the presidential secretariat, took part in the meeting.
