VZCZCXYZ0017
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #5717 0202105
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 202059Z JAN 10
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE IMMEDIATE 7027
INFO RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV 3127

UNCLAS STATE 005717 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OSCE PREL PGOV UP
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON JANUARY 17 
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN UKRAINE 
 
¶1. Post is authorized to present the following statement at 
the January 21 Permanent Council meeting in Vienna. 
 
Begin text: 
 
Thank you, Mister Chairman. 
 
The United States congratulates the people of Ukraine on the 
conduct of the January 17 presidential election.  Observers 
agree that this was generally a well run election. Ukraine 
has demonstrated its willingness and ability to conduct an 
election in line with most international commitments. We view 
this election as a further step in Ukraine,s democratic 
progress. 
 
We welcome the preliminary assessment of the International 
Election Observation Mission -- comprising experts and 
observers from OSCE/ODIHR, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, 
the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and the NATO 
Parliamentary Assembly -- which noted the first round of the 
election was of &high quality8 and showed &significant 
progress over previous elections,8 while meeting most OSCE 
and Council of Europe commitments. 
 
We are particularly pleased that the International Election 
Observation Mission concluded that civil and political rights 
were respected. We welcome the robust commitment to the 
observation effort exemplified by the participation of 
short-term observers from 47 OSCE participating States, as 
well as domestic non-governmental organizations.  In line 
with the OSCE's Copenhagen document, we urge the Ukrainian 
authorities to grant formal domestic observer status rather 
than insisting the NGOs register as journalists. 
 
We note also the concern voiced by the International Election 
Observation Mission of a lack of a complete and clear legal 
framework. We urge the Government of Ukraine to adopt a 
unified election code in compliance with OSCE commitments and 
international obligations. 
 
We are looking forward to the second round of the 
presidential election on February 7 and to their being 
conducted in a similarly successful manner.  We intend to 
renew our contribution to the international observation 
effort, and we call upon our 46 national partners in that 
effort to do the same. 
 
We also want to commend the work and cooperation of Mr. Joao 
Soares, the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, 
Head of the OSCE PA delegation and CiO Special Coordinator 
for the short-term OSCE observer mission; Ambassador Heidi 
Tagliavini, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation 
Mission; Mr. Matyas Eorsi, Head of the PACE delegation; Mr. 
Pavel Kowal, Head of the EP delegation; and Mr. Assen Agov, 
Head of the NATO PA delegation. Their professionalism and 
dedication and those of their staffs are greatly appreciated. 
 
 
Thank you, Mister Chairman. 
 
END TEXT 
CLINTON