OSCE praises democratic manner of elections and firmness of Ukrainians

Monday, October 27, 2014 - 17:30 (EET) Section: Latest news

Parliamentary elections in Ukraine were conducted mainly in a democratic manner.
OSCE Special Coordinator Kent Harstedt said this at a press conference in Kyiv on Monday, a Ukrinform correspondent reported.
He said that at this important moment for the future of Ukraine, Ukrainian institutions and voters responded to the challenges in the elections, which, he said, were largely conducted democratically.
He noted that during the elections Ukrainians demonstrated firmness that will help Ukraine overcome challenges. “The elections marked an important step in Ukraine’s aspirations to consolidate democratic elections in line with its international commitments,” Harsdedt said.
Speaking about the organization of the electoral process, he noted the impartiality of the CEC, as well as the fact that in a greater part of the country the elections took place in a calm atmosphere. The voting process and the counting of votes were transparent, he added.
However, he said, there were negative instances. In particular, observers recorded cases of intimidation and threats to voters during the campaign period.