Prospects for improvement of electoral legislation on campaigning restrictions

On August 10, a draft law amending the Election Code was registered in the Parliament. It is mainly aimed to correct technical drawbacks in the Election Code, but there is also an innovation, which raises the certain concerns.

When the rules are not set when the game begins, there is no winners. This is the program "Elections Inside Out". Let's talk about the rules of local elections.

Political parties have gained a monopoly on nomination of candidates in settlements with 10 thousand or more voters. Thus, they will have to ensure their lists are in line with gender quota requirements, or the lists will not be registered to participate in the election process. Amendments to the Election Code have come into force today. Thus, the representation of women in party lists will increase this fall.

On July 22, the President of Ukraine signed Draft Law #3485 amending the Election Code. Later the text was published in the official parliamentary edition Holos Ukrainy and entered into force as the Law of Ukraine.

On July, 16, 2020, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved in the second reading the draft law No 3485 on changes to electoral law. The decision that implies amendments to the Electoral Code, the Criminal Code and the Code on Administrative Offense, the laws on the CEC and the State Voter Register was supported by the 308 people’s deputies of Ukraine.

Committee on Organization of State Government, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning has considered a part of amendments to draft law #3485. They also included amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code, which were once submitted by the Civil Network OPORA (in the former draft law #8270). The Committee rejected most of the amendments from MPs. This was discussed on July 1 meeting.

Press-conference "Millions of voters now can vote in local elections", held in the UNIAN press-center on 24 June 2020, covered the following: peculiarities of the election process this year, consequences of the legislative amendments, and the need to promptly inform the part of society subject to these amendments.

Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft law No. 3485 “On Introducing Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on Improving Electoral Law,” in the first reading. It introduces changes to the Electoral Code. The decision was supported by 292 MPs. The draft law also took into account certain proposals from the Civil Network OPORA.

Electoral process in Ukraine is still associated with considerable breach of law, when political parties and candidates resort to illegal electoral techniques, whereas electoral subjects continue to commit massive fraud, and fail on the generally accepted election standards.