Ukraine's elections generally meet democratic standards: OSCE

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said Monday that Sunday's local elections in Ukraine were generally in line with democratic standards, but there was still room for improvement.

"The campaign generally showed respect to the democratic process," Tana de Zulueta, head of the OSCE's election observation mission, told reporters during a media briefing in Kiev.

Pointing that the voting and counting processes were transparent and largely well-organized in most of the country, de Zulueta said that Ukraine's electoral process still needed improvement.

To enhance people's confidence in the electoral process, Kiev should amend and harmonize its election legislation, better arrange printing and distribution of ballots and ensure the election rights of the internally displaced persons, she said.

"Nevertheless, the complexity of the legal framework, the dominance of powerful economic groups over the electoral process, and the fact that virtually all campaign coverage in the media was paid for, underscore the need for continued reform," the OSCE observer mission said in a report.

The report also criticized local electoral authorities for barring some parties and candidates on technicalities that appeared to be "politically motivated."

On Sunday, Ukrainians cast their votes to elect mayors and members of regional councils in the sixth local elections held in the country since its independence in 1991.

The voting was monitored by 1,554 international observers from 14 countries and 14 foreign organizations registered to supervise the process.

The elections were seen as important in the light of the ongoing decentralization reform, under which local authorities will be granted more economic, administrative and financial powers.

The final results of the vote are expected within a week. Endit