UPI 29 October 2012 KIEV, Ukraine, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Politics in Ukraine are dominated by powerful economic groups, suggesting the country's democratic potential wasn't realized, the OSCE said. Ukrainians voted Sunday in parliamentary elections. Walburga Habsburg Douglas, head of the observer mission from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said there was a general lack of balance during the campaign. "Considering the abuse

The Economist 29 October 2012 UKRAINE's ruling Party of the Regions looks set for victory in national elections on October 28th. With almost 70% of the vote counted, the party of president Viktor Yanukovych (pictured above) was on 33.51% of the vote, the opposition Fatherland party was on 22.97%, and the Communists received 14.51%. A party led by world champion boxer Vitali Klitschko had garnered 13.13% of the vote and Svoboda, a far-right

Washington Post 29 October 2012 MOSCOW – Election results reported Monday in Ukraine's parliamentary election point to an effort by the ruling Party of Regions and President Viktor Yanukovych to follow the same path of government-by-strongman as neighbors Russia and Belarus. In balloting that was sharply criticized by international observers and denounced as flagrant fraud by the opposition, the party appears to have furthered its grip on

Walburga Habsburg Douglas at a polling station in Kyiv. KYIV, 29 October 2012 – Ukraine's parliamentary elections were characterized by a tilted playing field, the international observers concluded in a statement released today. This was the result, primarily, of the abuse of administrative resources, as well as a lack of transparency in campaign and party financing and of balanced media coverage. Voters had a choice between distinct parties

COPENHAGEN, 25 October 2012 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Riccardo Migliori advocated strengthening regional inter-parliamentary co-operation, especially in relation to the Mediterranean region, in a speech Monday at the 127th Session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Quebec. He proposed that all regional organizations connected to the Mediterranean meet once a year as a way to more effectively utilize time and financial resources.

KYIV, 23 October 2012 – Walburga Habsburg Douglas (MP, Sweden), the Special Co-ordinator to lead the OSCE election observation mission in Ukraine released the following statement today after meeting with Yuriy Lutsenko in prison: "Today I met with Mr. Yuriy Lutsenko at the Mena penal colony in Chernihiv region. We talked for approximately two hours through a plate glass window inside the prison. I appreciate very much the invitation from Mr.