MEP Gahler: Ukrainians were deprived of fully democratic election process
KYIV, October 30 /UKRINFORM/. MEP Michael Gahler (the Group of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, Germany) has said that the people of Ukraine were deprived of a fully democratic election process in Sunday's parliamentary elections.
This is stated in his commentary posted on the website of the EPP Group in the European Parliament.
"An election is always to be judged in its entirety, with respect to whether a level playing field is provided. Election Day is only one element of such an assessment. This electoral process failed to provide a level playing field for the different political contestants in Ukraine, especially due to the misuse of administrative resources; unequal media access; and the biased composition especially of the district electoral committees. Moreover, selective justice excluded important political actors, Yulia Tymoshenko and Yuriy Lutsenko from standing as candidates in the elections," the MEP said.
Gahler said that one of the basic preconditions for a functioning democracy was freedom of media. He also said that in the run up to the elections there has been increased pressure on journalists and media. The example is the obstruction of the only nation-wide independent TV channel TVi from major cable networks, after having lost terrestrial frequencies already in 2010, he said.
"The reported practice of 'envelope payments' to journalists in return for positive news coverage leaves viewers unable to distinguish between news coverage and paid-for editorials," Gahler said.
The MEP said that the composition of the electoral committees had been carried out in a manipulative and non-transparent way.
Gahler also said that one of the key democratic principles was freedom of standing as a candidate in the election. He said that the imprisonment on political grounds of some of the key representatives of the opposition, which led to their inability to run as candidates, had violated a precondition for free and fair elections.
The MEP also noted that the abuse of administrative resources was a subject of widespread allegations and has been observed or verified by long-term observers in more than 20 instances in a dozen oblasts. Most such cases have been in support of the Party of Regions, he added.
"Finally, as the tabulation process is still ongoing, it is essential to follow up on concrete allegations of manipulation of the results in fiercely contested constituencies," Gahler said.
