WASHINGTON —Today the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) announced the following briefing:
Assessing Ukraine’s Parliamentary Elections
Friday, November 16, 2012
10 am – 11:30 am
Room B-318 Rayburn House Office Building
The OSCE and United States assessed Ukraine’s October 28 parliamentary elections as representing a step backwards compared with recent national elections and lacking a level playing field. Voters had a choice between distinct parties and the voting and counting were largely positively assessed, but the counts and tabulation in some closely contested single-mandate districts were problematic. While the ruling party along with Communist allies retains a majority, opposition parties displayed a strong showing, winning the party-list vote in Ukraine’s hybrid system. Experts from three key organizations working on the ground will examine the conduct and results of the election and their implications for Ukraine’s democratic future.
The following panelists are scheduled to participate:
Thomas Melia, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Olha Ajvazovska, Board Chair, Ukrainian citizen network OPORA
Katie Fox, Deputy Director-Eurasia, National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Stephen Nix, Regional Director, Eurasia, International Republican Institute (IRI)
