Statement of EP President Jerzy Buzek on Ukrainian presidential elections
Jerzy Buzek the President of the European Parliament at the opening of the plenary session in Strasbourg said on the presidential elections in Ukraine:
"Waiting for the confirmation of the results of the vote, I would like to congratulate the people of Ukraine for conducting free and fair elections. This seems to be confirmed by news coming from Ukraine.
As regards the feedback from our colleagues of the European Parliament who observed the elections, they report that despite a certain number of complaints and irregularities in the elections process, the majority of the election proceedings met democratic procedures and methods. This is a great success for the whole of Ukraine. Despite the political instability in recent years, we can see that there is a solid democratic foundation in Ukraine.
We recall that five years ago, the situation was the opposite. Today, we wish for the democratically and peacefully elected President of Ukraine to act for the sake of the country. We also want to have the best possible relations with Ukraine.
I would like to call on all the political forces of Ukraine to overcome divisions and to kick start cooperation on issues such as socio/economic reforms, reform of the judiciary and constitutional reforms, and last but not least to continue your European agenda. This concerns the future government and opposition in Ukraine. We want and we expect common action from Ukraine. This is our common challenge and responsibility.
On Wednesday, there will be a debate in the European Parliament on the elections in Ukraine, we will listen to the reports from our colleagues, and the head of the European Parliament election observation mission is Paweł Kowal. Our colleagues were on the ground and observed the election and will share with us their experiences."
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For further information:
Robert A. Golański
Deputy Spokesman
Mobile: +32 475 751 663