August 28, 2015

UCCA calls for volunteers to serve as international election observers

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NEW YORK – The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the largest representation of Americans of Ukrainian descent, is currently registering applicants for an upcoming election observation mission (EOM), which will travel to Ukraine for the country’s municipal elections scheduled to take place on October 25.

Given the recent constitutional reforms adopted by Ukraine’s Parliament, as well as a newly enacted election law, the upcoming elections in Ukraine represent an important step towards implementing necessary reforms in Ukraine. However, some of these changes will dramatically increase the time needed for local and central election commissions to count the votes, making the need for international election observers more important than ever, UCCA organizers noted.

Given the decentralization reforms being currently debated in the Verkhovna Rada and the complications expected from changes to the election law, the UCCA will be deploying teams of international election observers to cities throughout Ukraine to ensure free and fair elections. The only Ukrainian American community organization registered with Ukraine’s Central Election Commission (CEC), the UCCA has organized EOMs for every presidential and parliamentary election in Ukraine in its 24 years of independence, including Ukraine’s very first democratic elections in 1991, as well as the largest EOM ever registered by Ukraine’s CEC, with over 2,400 observers in 2004.

During the election program, the UCCA will conduct mandatory training briefings for its observers on how best to serve as international election monitors, including a special seminar addressing possible hostile environments. Official CEC accreditation will be provided and coordinated through the UCCA, which will also organize in-country travel and lodging, translators and guides, if necessary, as well as comprehensive information packets.

The UCCA’s EOM is composed of volunteers; registered international election observers are responsible for all costs related to their participation in the EOM, including, but not limited to, travel and accommodations.

For further information about the UCCA’s international election observer program, or to register, readers may visit the UCCA’s website at www.ucca.org or contact the UCCA National Office by e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at 212-228-6840.

For more information about why Ukraine’s fall elections matter, see an article posted by the Atlantic Council at  http://bit.ly/1PxXLfY.

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