A pre-electoral delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) visited Kyiv to evaluate the election campaign and preparations for the early presidential election on 25 May 2014.
The PACE delegation is convinced that, following the revolution, Ukraine needs a democratic and credible presidential election to establish legitimate political authority. Therefore, it calls on all Ukrainian citizens, whatever their political convictions or linguistic and regional sensibilities, to play an active part in the election campaign and to participate in the forthcoming election. Any external interference in the domestic affairs of Ukraine and in the electoral process should be excluded, in order to guarantee the people’s freedom to vote.
The PACE delegation noted that significant changes have been made to the legal framework for the election during the last two months which could improve its credibility. Regrettably, however, some important issues have not been addressed, including election campaign financing. There is no upper limit on spending for presidential candidates, despite the fact that the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has recommended capping election campaign expenditure. (more...)
