European Parliament observers assess Ukraine polls as democratic
KYIV. Oct 27 (Interfax) - European Parliament observers have credited Ukraine with carrying through democratic parliamentary elections on Sunday, according to the Ukrainian president's office.
During a meeting on Monday between Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and a European Parliament delegation, delegation leader Andrej Plenkovic "congratulated the president on successful and democratic elections, which met European standards," the office said in a statement.
The delegation, which monitored the elections, assessed them as free, just and fully compliant with Ukrainian law and international electoral standards, the office said.
"We have visited many of the polling stations and come to an optimistic conclusion about the way these elections were organized and carried through," the statement quoted Plenkovic as saying.
Plenkovic "pointed out the fact that European integration and work for peace had been the themes of the elections," the statement said. "These are the main themes in Ukraine today. It is they that determine the nature of the reforms that your country needs within the next few months," Plenkovic said as quoted in the statement.
"I'm proud," Poroshenko said at the meeting, "that, at what are very difficult times, the Ukrainians have given support to the European course of the president."
"The head of state expressed hope that the new Government that will be formed on the basis of the election results would speed up the reforms," the statement said. "The President asked the European Parliament members to help speed up the ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union in their countries."
