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.