After 2 months of work, the newly-elected parliament has failed to make any steps towards realization of the election law reform, which is the top priority goal for the political system update provided by the Coalition agreement. Thus, Civil Network OPORA in the partnership with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Internews-Ukraine and Committee of Voters of Ukraine has organized the first planned public discussion on the content of amendments to the election law and principles of their drafting. MPs of Ukraine, members of the CEC, representatives of the Administration of the President of Ukraine, experts and civic activists from different regions of Ukraine have participated in this frank discussion. Organizers called the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Hroisman and MPs of Ukraine to urgently create a Working group on election law reform under the Committee on Judicial Policy and Justice, which would secure open, transparent and inclusive drafting of law amendments and adoption of the corresponding laws by the Parliament until April 2015.

Presentation

Photo report

Video of the discussion

Twitter broadcasting

According to the Coalition Agreement concluded between parliamentary majority factions, a new law on parliamentary elections establishing proportional system with open lists should be adopted yet during the 1st quarter of 2015, and a new law on local elections establishing few types of the election system for elections at different levels should be adopted not later than six month before the next regular local elections. There are tens types of proportional representation electoral systems with open lists used in the world, each having pluses and minuses.

However, 2 important factors are left out of focus:

  • wide and open consultations with attraction of domestic and international experts, civic activists, members of the Central Election Commission, European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) and other potentially interested parties, which should be organized every time before any system changes are to be made;
  • information and awareness campaign for the voters and potential members of election commissions, which should be held as a part of election reform because establishment of an open list system includes introduction of new complicated procedures.

Experts have emphasized that election law reforming should be open, transparent and inclusive. Besides that, the Parliament and the VRU Committee on Judicial Policy and Justice must play a key role in such reforming. Thus, they called the President of Ukraine, Government and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine to promote the reform in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and provide political and professional support to the Parliament at all stages of election law reform.

STATEMENT on the most important steps towards the election law reform

Twitter

For comment, please contact:

Olha Aivazovska,

Electoral and Parliamentary Programs Coordinator of the Civil Network OPORA

+38 063 617 97 50

[email protected]