Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna
Part of UK in Ukraine
20th April 2012
Will October’s elections be free and fair?
I recently wrote a blog in which I welcomed the announcement that Ukraine had written formally to invite OSCE/ODIHR* to send observers to the October 2012 parliamentary elections. I was a bit surprised to see some people interpreting my words as suggesting that the mere presence of the OSCE observers automatically meant the elections would be fair. This is of course not what I said.
It is indeed good news that Ukraine has invited OSCE/ODIHR well in advance, so that the observer mission can make as well-informed a judgement as possible. It will not, however, be possible for OSCE/ODIHR, the UK or anyone else to form a final judgement on the degree to which the October elections meet Ukraine’s international obligations until we have seen what happens between now and October; and how the elections themselves are conducted.
In forming a view on the elections, the United Kingdom will pay close attention to the conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR observer mission. As I said in an earlier OSCE blog: “many factors will determine how the international community assesses the quality of the October 2012 elections, including whether all opposition leaders are able to take part in them.”
* The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
Of course, Yanucovich wants to stay in office after forthcoming elections as any president wants to. I think upcoming and any in future elections will be fairer than it was in the past. The main problem of Ukraine is high corruption level. The opposition and incumbents in power bribe people in great number to secure win. There is nobody but common Ukrainians to blame for their poverty because they are sold their votes for little bribe. I am citizen of Ukraine and know how it works. Almost always the crowds gather on squares and clamor in support of politicians in Ukraine are paid to do that. Here,in Ukraine,bribes everywhere. Also,I want to blame UK for its foreign policy. I mean no embassy itself but that UK allows people who have very bad reputation at home to cross its border. A poor and fair man may find it hard to fly for UK,but thief with millions and even billions dollar is welcomed in UK with open arms. A daughter of Timoshenko has property in UK and is very rich but here in Ukraine Timoshenko is very poor according to her tax declaration. Of course,she prepared herself long ago for jail and transfered her money in UK with help of daughter. And I think that UK’s authorities paid no attention to the nature of this billions. What do we have? We have impoverished poor Ukrainians and dirty billions in UK or elsewhere in EU. Is it true democracy? It seems strange,does it not Mr Leigh Turner?
Your excellency
It is nice to see your remarks “that the mere presence of the OSCE observers automatically meant the elections would be fair. This is of course not what I said.” – unfortunately there will be no honest elections in former Sovjet states – fraud is part of the election system in these states because of lack of informations to elderly people (my father in law live in Chelyabinsk, Russia, he is 89 years old and still believe Stalin was the biggest and will always vote for the ruling party) – and there are lots of these people, who will never have real informations. It will take ages before people of Ukraine and Russia will adobt to real democrathy – and we will still see cases like Yulia Tymoshenko – and EU is too afraid putting presure on the present Government.
Idealistic all EU countries should stay away from Ukraine and NOT participate in the European Championship in Football this summer – this will make a presure on the Government in UA.
Aage
“many factors will determine how the international community assesses the quality of the October 2012 elections, including whether all opposition leaders are able to take part in them.”
Well, the “quality” can be pretty much assessed now without troubling any inspectors. There is one opposition leader who definitively won’t be taking part in any October 2012 elections. She’s currently nursing marks to her body in her jail cell that she says have come from prison guard brutality.
And if her claims of innocence (also shared by the international community) are true, and that she is locked up (for another six odd years at least if no more ‘convictions’ find her) for political reasons, then just about anything in Ukrainian politics is not worthy of considering as any attempt to be open and democratic, is it?
There are some things Ukraine just cannot/will not shake from its hair, corruption is one of those things. The West can bang its fist on the table in chastisement until it’s blue in the face.
Naughty children only ever hear what they want to!
Just my £’s worth, anyway.
Your excellency
It was a pleasure to see you again yesterday evening at 49 Linden Gardens and hear your talk.
I would like to reiterate that the Manchester Branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Gt Britain would like to invite you and your wife to formally open our new Community Hall on Saturday 13 October.
It does not matter that you will not be the UK Ambassador to Ukraine on that day as your reputation precedes you. The offer still holds firm and we would be delighted if you could make it.
Богдан Ратич