Press release

'Freedom of Choice' Coalition of Ukrainian NGOs and Transparency International - Ukrainian chapter within the frame of press-conference that took place on March, 5 in UNIAN news agency declare that GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS IS NOT QUESTIONABLE BUT A RANGE OF VIOLATIONS DURING THE ELECTION PROCESS CERTAINLY HAD ITS SERIOUS IMPACT ON THE ELECTION RESULTS.

Among the factors that had the main impact on the election results Vlad Kaskiv, coordinator of 'Freedom of Choice' Coalition mentioned following: violation in the field of electoral campaign financing, third rate organization of Local Election Commissions and Commissions of Base Level, possible impact of 'dead souls' factor on the election results, imperfection of electoral law of Ukraine concerning campaign financing, votes polling, commissions formation etc, artificial reapportionment of percentage ratio between results of votes for political parties and blocs that managed to exceed 4% level.

The conclusions concerning artificial reapportionment of percentage ratio of votes have been made on the basis of documented facts of election procedure violations, 10% of invalid bulletins, results of parallel votes polling that was held by a number of parties/ blocs, that is based on documents of Local Election Commissions (copes of protocols) and Exit Poll data.

Concerning 'dead souls' - Secretariat of of 'Freedom of Choice' Coalition held comparative estimation of official data of CEC (Central Electoral Commission) and State Administration of Statistics. This estimation allows to talk about exceeding of total number of voters on more than 530 000 people, that is almost 3 % of voters. In order to count the number of voters in 2002 experts of the Coalition used data on number of voters in Referendum 2000, people who died during 2001-2002, those who rich the age of 18 to 2002. Besides this number not consider emigration process. In spite of general decrease of population the number of voters increased in 21 of 27 regions of Ukraine.

Concerning insufficient organization of Local Election Commissions - everyone mentioned long lines of voters all over Ukraine. This problem had systematic and maybe even planned nature. Hence number of people who came but didn't vote makes from 7 to 12% of voters. Considering the fact that low activity of voters gives more chances for falsification and that people who failed to vote belongs to separate age and social groups we can make a conclusion that all these factors had quite strong impact on the election results. According to the legislation the responsibility is on the CEC.

The outcomes about violation election laws by exceeding the election funds limit is based on the results of independent monitoring of political parties and electoral blocs expenditures on political advertisements in mass-media.

According to the monitoring data on March 31 four political actors, among them SDPU (u), 'Women for future', Green Party of Ukraine, 'For United Ukraine' exceeded the election funds limit only by the expenditures on political advertising.

SDPU (u)exceeded the election funds limit on 8 846 000 UAH, 'Women for future' - 4082585 UAH, Green Party of Ukraine - 1 255 926 UAH, 'For United Ukraine' - 830930UAH.

SDPU (u) is the leader on expenditures on social-political advertisements, the amount of money spend on this type of advertisements by SDPU(U) is USD 1 350 023 which is 60% from total expenditures by parties and blocs on such type of advertising. At the same time 'Women for future' overcome other political parties and blocs on expenditures on social advertisements, the amount of money spent by this bloc on political advertisements is USD 1 235 805.

According to the monitoring results during the period from the official start of the election campaign to March 31 market price of political

and social advertisements by all participants of election campaign

(in mass-media monitored) is USD 7 742 327. From this sum 71.8%

(USD 5 558 672) is spend on direct political advertisements and 28.2% (USD 2 183655) - on social advertisements that support several political forces.

The group of leaders that spend on political advertisements more than USD 200 000 consists of: SDPU (u) (USD 2142105), 'Women for future' (USD 1246727), Green Party of Ukraine (USD 715 400), 'For United Ukraine' (USD - 635 513), 'Our Ukraine' (USD 437 679), 'Apple' (USD 397 804), Ukrainian Communist Party (renewed) - (USD 347 184), All-Ukrainian Unity of Christians (USD 344 274), party 'New Generation of Ukraine' (USD 319 155), 'Winter-Crop Generation Team' (USD 205 357), 'Democratic Union' - (USD 205 357).

Ukrainian Communist Party (renewed) 'For United Ukraine' and demonstrated the highest increasing rate of expenditures on political advertising.

More detailed monitoring data find in the attachment.

Coalition of Ukrainian NGOs Freedom of Choice and Transparency International - Ukraine in framework of the project 'Public Monitoring of Electoral Campaign Financing' asked all political parties and blocs that took part in the election process for cooperation and exchange of information on the electoral financing. Nevertheless, only three parties made a replay in this proposition, these are 'Our Ukraine', bloc Yulii Tymoshenko, Social Party of Ukraine. According to monitoring data these parties/blocs did not exceeded the limit of election funds and the difference between monitoring and parties/blocs' data is not essential. As Ivan Sikora, head of the project , sad only these three political forces are really trying to be transparent , others by this tine only declared the transparency.

Taking in account the outcome of Election 2002 and the results of 'Public Monitoring of Electoral Campaign Financing' project Coalition of Ukrainian NGOs Freedom working on the proposition for Ukrainian law system and planning to enlarge the project experience for Central-Eastern European Countries also the initiate the complex campaign on Ukrainian NGOs for democratization of election process.

Project is held within the framework of activity of All-Ukrainian Public Monitor Committee and supported by International Renaissance Foundation and Canadian Agency of Intenational Development. The monitoring data is given by company Monitoring of Mass Media in Ukraine.

For all additional information, please, call:

t/f 8-044-461 9022, e-mail: elections@vybory.org.ua,

holy@vybory.org.ua (Iryna Holiyad)