Mykola Tomenko: There are Three Key Prerequisites of the Electoral Legislation to hold Democratic Elections
In the interview to LihaBiznesInform internet periodical, Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, singled out three key prerequisites to hold democratic parliamentary elections.
As to the date and terms of holding the forthcoming parliamentary elections, M.Tomenko stated that their date (spring 2011 or autumn 2012) is still a subject for discussion in the coalition.
The Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stressed that the opposition did not consider the date of elections as a top priority issue. "Law is more important," he admitted. If the mixed electoral system is restored, elections may be problematic in both 2011 and 2012. "The mixed electoral system at the local elections demonstrated that the opposition could not present a uniform list of candidates in the majoritarian districts," M.Tomenko stated.
Commenting upon the amendments to the electoral legislation, M.Tomenko singled out three key prerequisites of the democratic parliamentary elections. "Firstly, the election commissions shall not be authorized to withdraw the candidates," M.Tomenko stressed. "Secondly, it is necessary to regulate the majority in the commissions," he admitted. "Finally, the system of setting up the election commissions should be changed: the opposition and the authorities should get equal number of places," the politician stated.
"The elections will a priori be falsified, as the past local ones," the Deputy Chairman summed up. He called for focusing on the contents of the Law and developing a common action plan for the elections.