Kyiv, Ukraine – Observers from the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF), in association with Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) were up early on Sunday, Feb. 7, to monitor the beginning of voting in polling stations across the country. By various estimates, some 4,000 international observers are deployed throughout Ukraine.
CUF’s election observation mission is being headed by CUF Chair and Toronto lawyer Bohdan Onyschuk QC and the Chief Observer being Mr. Yarema Bachynsky, an American journalist. The mission includes Members of Parliament James Bezan (Selkirk-Interlake) and Gerard Kennedy (Parkdale-High Park).
As of 11 AM on Election Day, no gross violations had been reported from the field.
Mr. Bezan is performing his observation duties in the capital city of Kyiv and surrounding regions, while Mr. Kennedy is monitoring the poll in the central Ukrainian oblast of Kirovohrad.
The mission’s preliminary findings will be presented at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 1:30 PM. CUF has 110 observers registered with Ukraine’s Central Elections Commission.
