A group of 75 Canadians hoping to make a difference in a fledgling democracy will be traveling to Ukraine this month to monitor the October 31 presidential elections.

A desire to ensure the freedom to choose has motivated the Ukrainian community in Canada to give of its time and substantial resources to help Ukrainian citizens share the values in which we, Canadians, take pride. The people of Ukraine deserve the right to have their voice heard, and the assurance of a fair and transparent election process will empower them to guide the future of their country.

The observer delegation, coordinated by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, will concentrate its presence in the historically problematic regions of eastern and southern Ukraine. The Canadians will coordinate monitoring efforts with election observers that are being sent through Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODHIR), the election arm of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as well as other international NGOs. The OSCE is providing approximately 600 observers.

Official accreditation from Ukraine’s Central Election Commission will grant each international election monitor access to the various polling sites throughout Ukraine on election day; the right to inquire about election procedures in local election commissions; the right to be present at the opening of the polls, throughout the day, and up to and including the counting of the ballots; and the right to fill out election violation forms whenever irregularities occur at polling sites.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is the national coordinating body representing the Ukrainian community in Canada and its member organizations nation wide.

October 14, 2004