Facts and Figures

Ukrainian authorities at all levels have shown a determination to further improve all institutions involved in holding fair and transparent elections.

Based upon recommendations from the Central Election Commission of Ukraine and the observations from international organizations, this component of the project will continue the progress made during the recent presidential elections in order to enhance the fairness and transparency of future elections.

Drawing upon lessons learned from previous elections, the Project Coordinator's office seeks to:

• Support government efforts to address ODIHR recommendations made during the 2004 presidential and 2002 parliamentary elections;



• Assist the Central Election Commission of Ukraine in the introduction of a an electronic, unified voter registry;



• Assist bodies of local self-government in implementing legislation in accordance with their mandates and in coordination with and through support to the regional infrastructure of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, ODIHR, is mandated to observe elections in OSCE participating States. The OSCE/ODIHR observed elections in Ukraine in 1999, 2002, and 2004, and has received an invitation to observe the 2006 parliamentary elections in Ukraine.

The OSCE PCU does not undertake election observation activities. The OSCE/ODIHR and OSCE PCU operate separately under their specific mandate.

All OSCE/ODIHR election reports are public and are available on http://www.osce.org/odihr-elections/14207.html. The OSCE/ODIHR has also published a number of election related materials and handbooks.

Chronology:

• August 24, 1991 - Ukraine declares independence from the Soviet Union following an attempted coup in Moscow. Immediately following this proclamation Ukraine faces numerous urgent problems of state building. Some of the problems facing the newly independent state include: the formation of suitable government bodies and institutions, the transition from an authoritarian society to a democratic and civil society, the conversion to a free market, and integration into the world community.
• December 1, 1991 - The election of the first President of independent Ukraine and a nationwide referendum are held. Ukrainian citizens vote 91% in support of independence and elect Leonid Kravchuk as the first President of sovereign Ukraine.
• July 10, 1994 - Leonid Danylovich Kuchma succeeds Leonid Kravchuk and is elected the second President of Ukraine.
• June 28, 1996 - After a long and strained constitutional process, the Verkhovna Rada finally approves and adopts a new Constitution of Ukraine.
• November 14, 1999 - Leonid Kuchma is re-elected as President for a second term. Among the 13 candidates in the first round no candidate received an absolute majority, thus, a run off was held between the top two candidates Leonid Kuchma and Communist Party leader Petro Symonenko, in which Kuchma was declared the winner.
• December 26, 2004 - After a re-run of the second round of the election, Victor Andrievych Yuschenko is elected President.
• March 26, 2006 - The next parliamentary elections are expected to take place.