Documents

2018

EPDE Policy Alert

Electoral Reform in Ukraine #10

EPDE
Photo: 5 Kanal

With 2019 just around the corner, Ukraine is preparing for two landmark elections next year - presidential and parliamentary elections. Issue no. 10 gives an outlook on next year’s presidential and parliamentary elections with a special focus on the lack of an effective system of legal liability for violations of the electoral law. 

 

EPDE Policy Alert

Electoral Reform in Ukraine #9

EPDE

Current issue outlines the status quo of the electoral reform process less than a year before the parliamentary elections in October 2019 and provides an outlook for next year. Observers in Ukraine do not assume that there is currently a majority in the Parliament that supports the introduction of a proportional electoral system with open regional party lists. The completely open outcome of the upcoming presidential elections in March 2019 and the thereto related uncertainty among all political forces in Ukraine will further paralyze the reform process in the upcoming months.

 

EPDE Policy Alert

Electoral Reform in Ukraine #8

EPDE
Photo: Unian

On 20 September 2018, the Ukrainian Parliament appointed 14 new members of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and, thus, all nominees proposed earlier by the President. At the same time, the Parliament dismissed 13 CEC commissioners whose terms formally expired already in 2014 (one member’s term ended in February 2017). The new CEC members are appointed for seven years.

 

Follow-Up on Electoral Reform

Follow-up on the implementation of the electoral reform in Moldova in the context of the upcoming Parliamentary elections

Promo-LEX

On 24 February 2019 the Republic of Moldova will hold regular Parliamentary elections. Unfortunately, the activity of the current legislature and political parties is marked by many social and political events with negative connotations.

 

Follow-Up on Electoral Reform

Electoral reform in Ukraine: last chance for implementing

OPORA

One of the key aspects of the electoral reform in Ukraine is the abolition of the parallel election system which should be replaced by a fully proportional parliamentary election system with open party lists. The application of a parallel system with a majoritarian component leads to preservation of an old political elite, thus the current parliament have no will to replace it.

 

EPDE Policy Alert

Electoral Reform in Ukraine #7

EPDE

On 5 July 2018, the Ukrainian Parliament failed to renew the Central Election Commission (CEC). Only 189 out of 226 required MPs supported the motion to hold a vote (1) on the dismissal of 13 acting members of the CEC whose terms expired already in June 2014 and February 2017, and (2) on the appointment of 13 new members. Earlier, all factions and groups of the Verkhovna Rada stated that they demand the renewal of the CEC.

 

Recommendations

Recommendations on Party Finance & Other Benefits

ISFED

ISFED, together with GYLA and TI-Georgia presented a package of priority recommendations for improvement of electoral environment in Georgia. The recommendations derive from the findings of election observation of the three organizations and shortcomings identified in practice during monitoring.  The two packages of recommendations cover the issues of political party finance and regulations in the Election Code to improve various aspects related to campaigning, misuse of administrative resources, election administration composition, electoral disputes, etc. Please see the second package. 

 

Recommendations

Recommendations for Improving Electoral Environment

ISFED

ISFED, together with GYLA and TI-Georgia presented a package of priority recommendations for improvement of electoral environment in Georgia. The recommendations derive from the findings of election observation of the three organizations and shortcomings identified in practice during monitoring.  The two packages of recommendations cover the issues of political party finance and regulations in the Election Code to improve various aspects related to campaigning, misuse of administrative resources, election administration composition, electoral disputes, etc. Please see the first package. 

 

Follow-Up on Electoral Reform

Information sheet on election reform in Ukraine (2017-2018)

CVU

Nataliia Lynnyk, Vice-Director of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine (CVU), highlighted that the coalition agreement of 2014 envisaged the transition to a proportional electoral system with open lists in Ukraine, but its approval is still critically dependant on political consensus and the existence of political will of the parliamentary coalition and the president. 

 

Follow-Up on Electoral Reform

Electoral reform in Ukraine: key issues

OPORA

One of the key aspects of the electoral reform of Ukraine is the abolition of the mixed system which should be replaced by a fully proportional parliamentary election system with open party lists. Since 2012, the introduction of a proportional election system has been recommended by the Venice Commission and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. A bill on new Electoral Code introducing proportional election system has recently passed the first reading in the parliament.

 

Follow-Up on Electoral Reform

Electoral reform in Moldova

Promo-LEX

Promo-LEX has formulated many recommendations for the improvement of the above-mentioned aspects of the electoral system, thus striving to contribute to the organization of free and fair elections in Moldova. The main recommendation formulated in this regard by Promo-LEX for the authorities was to cancel the mixed electoral system or at least to implement it no earlier than for the 2022 Parliamentary elections, and only after all the gaps are settled and citizens are better informed about this change.

 

Follow-Up on Electoral Reform

Electoral System Reform in Georgia

ISFED

According to ISFED recommendations, the ruling party should ensure that further steps are taken to improve the electoral system in a way that allows a more pluralistic and fair representation of political parties in the Parliament for 2020, introduction of the proportional system immediately from 2020 instead of 2024 would thus be ideal. Party finance legislation should be amended in order not to allow biased manipulation in favor of certain parties. 

 

EPDE Policy Alert

Electoral Reform in Ukraine #6

EPDE

On 4 April, the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy and Justice confirmed the composition of a working group assigned to prepare the second reading of the draft Electoral Code No. 3112-1. The draft Electoral Code was approved by the Ukrainian Parliament in the first reading in November last year. It advocates a proportional system for parliamentary elections with open regional party lists.

 

EPDE Policy Alert

Electoral Reform in Ukraine #5

EPDE

On 13 April, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine submitted the Draft Law “On Introducing Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Aimed to Strengthen the Liability for Violation of Electoral Legislation” to the Parliament (Draft Law No. 8270). The elaboration on the draft lasted for almost two years and underwent thorough discussions among stakeholders and experts of the election process in all regions of Ukraine.

 

EPDE Policy Alert

Electoral Reform in Ukraine #4

EPDE

The introduction of an exclusive first-past-the-post voting system, as proposed in Draft Law No. 7366, would fundamentally contradict the goals of Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity and the commitments of the ruling coalition. It would also oppose the will of the majority of Ukrainians, who, according to a recent poll conducted by the Razumkov Centre, are in favour of a fully proportional electoral system with open party lists for parliamentary elections.