[Ohio UZO News] CSCE; KP/AP; NYT; Note

Mon Oct 29 11:50:21 EDT 2007

Helsinki Commission briefing: "The Ukrainian Election:  Implications for
Ukraine's Future Direction", held October 25, 2007 with Ukraine's
Ambassador to US Oleh Shamshur, Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Bill
Miller and IRI's Stephen Nix. 

See unofficial transcript:

www.csce.gov <http://www.csce.gov/> , click on Hearings and Briefings

See VOA TV clip/article:

http://www.voanews.com/ukrainian/2007-10-26-voa6.cfm

Kyiv Post

http://www.kyivpost.com/

October 29, 2007

Official parliamentary election results published in Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - The official results of Ukraine's snap
parliamentary elections were published in government media Saturday, the
final formality before a new legislature can convene. 

According to the results, the pro-West Orange Revolution parties of
President Viktor Yushchenko and the charismatic Yulia Tymoshenko
together mustered a slim majority of 228 seats in the 450-member
Verkhovna Rada. 

The two parties have pledged to form a government with Tymoshenko
returning as prime minister. 

The rival Party of Regions, led by the more Moscow-friendly Prime
Minister Viktor Yanukovych, finished first in the Sept. 30 ballot and
will control 175 seats. 

Publication of the results became possible after the High Administrative
Court on Thursday threw out a suit filed by five parties seeking to
contest the results based on alleged violations. 

The legislature now has about a month to convene after the official
publication of the election results, though no date has yet been set for
the first Rada session. 

In an interview with the Weekly Mirror newspaper published Saturday,
Yanukovych called for forming a broad coalition that would encompass
three parties and bridge the divide in Ukrainian society. 

"I want everyone to understand that, irrespective of distribution of
forces in Verkhovna Rada, not a single important decision as for
domestic and foreign policy will be taken without considering the Party
of Regions," Yanukovych said.

New York Times

October 26, 2007

Editorial

Putin Takes on the Election Observers 

It was only with luck, Benjamin Franklin mulled during the debates of
the Constitutional Convention, that the framers would "produce a
government that could forestall, for a decade perhaps, the decline of
the Republic into tyranny." The American states had that luck. Russia
has not. 

The latest sign of its sad decline is a diplomatic campaign by the
Kremlin, reported by C. J. Chivers in The Times this week, to curtail
the activities of election observers from the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe - just in time for Russia's December
parliamentary elections and March presidential election.

President Vladimir Putin is not trying to bar the observers altogether;
that would be too obvious. What he wants is to cut the size of the
monitoring missions and stop them from immediately releasing their
reports, thus diminishing their impact.

We can see how foreign observers can grate on a country's pride. But
what the Kremlin and its allies clearly do not want is anyone paying too
much attention to their antidemocratic ploys. Mr. Putin is convinced
that the European group's criticism of elections in Georgia, Ukraine and
Kyrgyzstan helped foment the so-called "color" revolutions that set the
votes right. Russia pre-emptively sent its own "observers" to elections
in Belarus to contradict the organization's misgivings. 

Mr. Putin's K.G.B.-heavy government calls the monitoring "meddling in
internal affairs." We call it blowing the whistle, which is exactly what
the group is supposed to do. 

Even a critical report from the observers would probably not alter the
outcome of Russia's elections, since the problem there is not so much
voting procedures as the Kremlin's near-absolute control over who can
run and who gets access to national television. In Russia's last
presidential election, in 2004, an observer mission reported that "the
process over all did not adequately reflect principles necessary for a
healthy democratic election." It is far worse today. 

It is telling that Mr. Putin's current effort to change the procedures
is co-signed by Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan, all states with compelling reasons to limit the influence of
independent observers. 

Note to Americans on this list:

Please take a few minutes and contact YOUR Congressperson as soon as
possible and simply ask him or her to cosponsor H. Res. 713
congratulating the Ukrainian people for holding free, fair, open and
transparent elections on September 30 and expressing Congressional
support for Ukraine. We need additional cosponsors if this resolution is
to be adopted in the House of Representatives.  See list of the current
25 cosponsors in italics right below to see if your Congressperson has
already cosponsored.  If not, click on the following link for
information on how to very easily contact your Representative via phone
or e-mail -- even if you do not know his or her name:
http://www.house.gov/writerep <http://www.house.gov/writerep> . It's not
that hard or time-consuming to do, folks! There are still
Representatives with significant numbers of Ukrainian-Americans in their
districts who are not yet cosponsors.  

H. Res.713

Sponsor:  Alcee Hastings (D-FL)  Cosponsors:  Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD),
Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-NY), Joseph R.
Pitts (R-PA), Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL), G.K Butterfield (D-NC), Hilda
L. Solis(D-CA) , Marcy Kaptur(D-OH), Donald M. Payne (D-NJ), Carolyn C.
Kilpatrick (D-MI), Doris O. Matsui (D-CA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Sander
Levin (D-MI), Corinne Brown (D-FL), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Robert
Wexler(D-FL), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Gregory Meeks(D-NY), Jim
Gerlach (R-PA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Gary L.
Ackerman (D-NY), Joe Sestak (D-PA) Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Roy Blunt
(R-OH)

 H.RES.713

Whereas the International Election Observation Mission led by the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (`OSCE'), led by
parliamentarians of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly,... (Introduced in
House)

HRES 713 IH 

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. RES. 713

Congratulating the Ukrainian people for the holding of free, fair, open
and transparent parliamentary elections on September 30, 2007, in a
peaceful manner consistent with Ukraine's democratic values and national
interest, in keeping with its commitments as a participating State of
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 4, 2007

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Mr. HOYER, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr.
SMITH of New Jersey, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. ADERHOLT, Ms.
KAPTUR, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. PAYNE,
and Mr. PITTS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

________________________________

RESOLUTION

Congratulating the Ukrainian people for the holding of free, fair, open
and transparent parliamentary elections on September 30, 2007, in a
peaceful manner consistent with Ukraine's democratic values and national
interest, in keeping with its commitments as a participating State of
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. 

Whereas the International Election Observation Mission led by the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (`OSCE'), led by
parliamentarians of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, declared the
September 30 2007 pre-term parliamentary elections in Ukraine were
conducted mostly in line with OSCE commitments and other international
standards for democratic elections and in an open and competitive
environment; 

Whereas voting was conducted in an orderly and transparent manner and
International Election Observation Mission observers assessed the voting
process as good or very good in 98 percent of the nearly 3,000 polling
stations visited, notwithstanding some shortcomings, notably with
respect to the quality of voter lists; 

Whereas the vote count was assessed as good or very good in 94 percent
of the International Election Observation Mission reports; 

Whereas the Ukrainian people, most spectacularly during the Orange
Revolution of 2004, demonstrated their ability to resolve political
differences through nonviolent protest and in a manner consistent with
democratic principles; 

Whereas, despite the real democratic gains made by the Ukrainian people
since the Orange Revolution, serious political disputes between
President Victor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Victor Yanukovich, rooted
in weak constitutional delineations of their powers, resulted in a
political crisis earlier this year; 

Whereas after weeks of tense standoff, agreement was reached on May 27,
2007 among the President, Prime Minister and parliamentary chairman
stipulating new parliamentary elections for September 30; 

Whereas the United States Congressional delegation to the 16th annual
session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Kyiv received assurances
from President Yushchenko and other prominent Ukrainian officials that
Ukraine would not backtrack on the path to political reform and good
governance; and 

Whereas the United States Congress has consistently demonstrated strong
bipartisan support for an independent, democratic Ukraine: Now,
therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) congratulates the people of Ukraine for holding free, fair, open and
transparent parliamentary elections on September 30, 2007, in a peaceful
manner consistent with Ukraine's democratic values and national
interest, in keeping OSCE standards on democratic elections;

(2) welcomes the strong relationship formed between the United States
and Ukraine since the restoration of Ukraine's independence in 1991 and
especially following the 2004 Orange Revolution;

(3) expresses strong and continuing support for the efforts of the
Ukrainian people to build upon the democratic gains of the Orange
Revolution by strengthening respect for human rights and the rule of
law, including an independent judiciary;

(4) recognizes that the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law,
and combating corruption, in Ukraine will further strengthen its
independence and sovereignty, enhancing Ukraine's aspirations for full
integration with the West and serving as a positive role model for other
post-Soviet countries;

(5) calls for the timely formation of a government that reflects the
will of Ukrainian voters and advances political stability and democratic
development, with a special focus on the constitutional framework, in
order to address the important issues facing Ukraine; and

(6) pledges its continued assistance to the further development of a
free and transparent democratic system in Ukraine based on the rule of
law, a free market economy and consolidation of Ukraine's security and
sovereignty.

Dear Colleague:

Please join me in supporting democratic processes and the rule of law in
Ukraine by cosponsoring H. Res. 713, congratulating the Ukrainian people
for holding free, fair and transparent elections on September 30. This
resolution is a demonstration of Congress' interest, concern, and
support for Ukraine as that strategically important country perseveres
towards full democracy and the rule of law. 

A political dispute between Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko and
Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich -- rooted in weak constitutional
delineations of their powers -- resulted in a political crisis earlier
this year.  After weeks of tense standoff, an agreement was reached
calling for early elections to be held on September 30.  

Ukraine has made important progress since the 2004 Orange Revolution,
but its democratic institutions and the rule of law are still emerging
and lack in their ability to safeguard democratic gains.  Thus, it is
very significant that the September 30 elections were conducted in a
peaceful, orderly manner and in an open and competitive environment
consistent with Ukraine's commitments as a participating State of the
OSCE. While democratic elections will not, in and of themselves, resolve
all of the challenges facing Ukraine in strengthening the rule of law
and delineating power among branches of government, they are a critical
stepping-stone in Ukraine's democratic development.  

Democratic consolidation and the rule of law will enhance Ukraine's
aspirations for full integration with the West and, importantly, serve
as a positive model for other former Soviet countries, many of whom are
in the grip of authoritarianism.    

Please have your staff contact Orest Deychakiwsky at the Helsinki
Commission at 5-1901 or e-mail orest.deychak at mail.house.gov regarding
co-sponsorship.

Below please find the text of the resolution.  

Sincerely,

 /s/

Alcee L. Hastings, M.C.

Chairman

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

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