International observers make statement on Ukraine's presidential election

The international observers consider that the runoff of Ukraine’s presidential election on April 21 was well-organized.
George Tsereteli, Special Coordinator and leader of the OSCE short-term observer mission, made a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions at a briefing, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“The 2019 presidential election in Ukraine was competitive and held with respect for fundamental freedoms. The orderly transfer of power should offer the opportunity for strengthening democratic institutions and their accountability,” Tsereteli said.

However, he noted, the campaign for both rounds lacked genuine discussion of issues of public concern.

“The runoff was well-organized, despite operational challenges and a limited timeframe. The legal framework still contains shortcomings. Election day was assessed positively, and, despite a few procedural problems, there was a marked improvement in the conduct of the vote count and tabulation compared to the first round,” the leader of the OSCE short-term observer mission added.

As reported, the second round of regular Ukrainian presidential election was held on April 21.

There were two candidates in a voting paper as showman Volodymyr Zelensky and incumbent Head of State Petro Poroshenko made it to the run-off according to the results of the first round held on March 31.

As the Central Election Commission of Ukraine processed 99.3% of electronic protocols on the vote count in the run-off, Volodymyr Zelensky gets 73.23 of the vote, Petro Poroshenko – 24.44%.