Shmyhal initiates a draft law banning Russia from interfering in ORDLO elections

Elections and referendums in the occupied Ukrainian territories are impossible under the barrels of Russian mercenaries.

It's stated in the draft law "On the principles of state policy in transition," which was initiated by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

The election process must meet the requirements of the Constitution, the Electoral Code, and Ukrainian law, as well as OSCE and Council of Europe standards.

This requirement, in particular, provides security guarantees for observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. So as long as Russian mercenaries remain in Donbas, Ukraine can't provide appropriate guarantees.

According to the text of the draft law, elections in the occupied territories are held only if it's possible to ensure:

1. Prevention of unlawful interference in the election process, in particular by the Russian Federation;
2. Adherence to the principles of political pluralism and multi-party system, equality of rights, and opportunities to participate in the electoral process;
3. Respect for the voting rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs);
4. Freedom of election campaigning, equal opportunities for access to the media and the restoration of Ukrainian television and radio broadcasting, free circulation of Ukrainian print media in the occupied territories;
5. Safe working conditions and unhindered participation in the election process of official observers, in particular from the OSCE ODIHR, other international organizations, and foreign states.

For the first time after de-occupation, local elections in the de-occupied territories may be called and held only if the requirements of Ukrainian legislation are observed at the same time as the next local elections.

Local referendums in the occupied territories may be called no earlier than after the local elections in the respective territory.

National elections and all-Ukrainian referendums are not held in the temporarily occupied territories.

Note

The government approved a draft law on the principles of state policy in transition on August 4, which was submitted to parliament in five days.

The profiling draft law defines the procedures of state actions for the reintegration of the temporarily occupied districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

The relevant draft law is being developed in the fall of 2020. Its primary task is to develop and define mechanisms for the safe reintegration of ORDLO and Crimea. In June, the document was sent to the Venice Commission for an expert opinion.

According to the Minister for Reintegration of TOT Oleksii Reznikov, the Verkhovna Rada may consider the draft law this fall.