Ukraine to take into account PACE recommendations on electoral process, says Ambassador Tochytsky

Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the Council of Europe Mykola Tochytsky has said that the findings of the PACE Standing Committee on the recent parliamentary elections will be useful to Ukraine.

"This is a technical document that is the result of a special committee's work to monitor the election, and it is useful because it includes specific recommendations for further cooperation between Ukraine and the Council of Europe," the diplomat said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

He noted that the main conclusion that can be drawn from the report is that the PACE will continue cooperation with Ukraine both in the framework of the PACE Monitoring Committee and the Venice Commission.

Tochytsky noted that the findings stressed the importance of a balanced approach to all participants of the electoral process.

The committee also draws attention to the importance of proper training for all members of district election commissions, especially in rural areas, the ambassador said.

"Of course there are problems with the electoral law. The law is complicated and it takes time to learn how to implement it properly," Tochytsky said.

On the whole, the work done by the PACE Standing Committee is very important in terms of defining priorities of Ukraine's cooperation with the Council of Europe.

"This document is important to us, and I think all of the findings and proposals of the committee will be taken into account," the diplomat said.