Press release January 31, 2016
Ukraine: Local Elections in Kyiv Should Proceed without Delay
On January 27 a court in Kyiv ruled in favor of an indefinite delay of neighborhood district council elections scheduled for March 27 in the Ukrainian capital.
Washington
Following a Kyiv court ordering an indefinite delay of neighborhood district council elections scheduled for March 27 in the Ukrainian capital, Freedom House issued the following statement:
“Having district council elections is an important step in the development of a citizen-led electoral democracy and should not be delayed,” said Daniel Calingaert, executive vice president. “Civic activism and high voter turnout in recent presidential, parliamentary, and local elections contradict claims by right-wing activists that Ukrainians are not ready for elections. All branches of the government should remain committed to the decentralization of power, and elections should be held as promised.”
Background:
The District Administrative Court of Kyiv delayed district council elections in a January 27 decision, after a lawsuit brought by NADZHAK claimed that Ukrainians are not ready for district council elections and that new local-level elected bodies would be corrupt. NADZHAK is a right-wing civic initiative, known for, among other things, organizing anti-LGBT attacks. Ukraine’s Central Election Commission has appealed the District Administrative Court’s decision to delay the elections.
Ukraine is rated Partly Free in Freedom in the World 2016, partly free in Freedom of the Press 2015, Partly Free in Freedom on the Net 2015, and receives a democracy score of 4.75 on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 being the worst possible score, in Nations in Transit 2015.