Joint statement of Transparency International Ukraine, CHESNO civil movement, civil network OPORA, and Ukrainian Independent Centre for Political Studies concerning immediate re-election of thirteen members of the Central Election Commission.
The Parliament should immediately re-elect thirteen members of the Central Election Commission. Civil society and politicians of different branches of power cannot save confidence to the central election administration body in Ukraine and, as a result, elections institute as a whole.
For the last three years the Verkhovna Rada and the President failed to implement an efficient and legal reload mechanism of the full Central Election Commission staff, which creates a common view that a current situation and ineffective half-actions are acceptable for all concerned. Political expediency to keep the Central Election Committee under strain, and at the same time, demotivate its members as to the system work, participation in reforming the electoral legislation or inner transformations are highly dangerous.
There are no hinders for the renewal of the Central Election Commission staff, such as national parliament or presidential, scale local elections. However, announcement of a suspicion to the Head of the Central Election Commission by NABU provides a sufficient basis for activizing actions on the part of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the President concerning the compromise around the list of considered candidatures for the positions of the Commission members.
Civil society organizations remind that the submitted by Petro Poroshenko in June 2016 list containing eleven candidacies is not perfect, as it does not reflect the political spectrum of parliamentary factions, half of which remains without quota. The Code of appropriate practices in election cases of the Venus Commission, which states that independence of electoral collegial bodies must be provided through the representation of interests of different political factions and groups in electoral commissions. Moreover, two months remain vacant, so it is high time to review the list and make necessary amendments for immediate voting in the Verkhovna Rada.
Non-governmental organizations call on all the factions to publicly submit the renewed proposal of candidates to the President. It is too important to achieve not only consensus in matters of reelection of Central Election Commission members, but to propose the society candidates satisfying the following criteria:
1) good reputation;
2) professionalism;
3) political neutrality and independence.
Balanced and effective Central Election Commission complement should regain confidence to this body and encourage to held fair and democratic elections in future. Each party and political group being in power or in opposition today, should remember that political landscape is changing, and responsible and independent body for election administration is a preventer against any manipulations or an administrative resource, no matter what hands it falls into.
