Kiev's anti-Russia steps in the run-up to the Ukrainian presidential election, such as banning Russian observers, not organizing polling places in Russia
GENOA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2019) Kiev's anti-Russia steps in the run-up to the Ukrainian presidential election, such as banning Russian observers, not organizing polling places in Russia and blacklisting pro-Russian singers, were based solely on the rivalry between the two countries and demonstrate a lack of democracy, Paolo Grimoldi, a member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observer team at the election, told Sputnik.
Russian observers from the OSCE were barred from monitoring the voting process by Kiev. Moscow has said that this, along with other actions aimed against Russia, could jeopardize the results of the vote.
"This is not very good for democracy and for sharing information to make the election clearer. Unfortunately, I think this choice was taken because of the situation between Russia and Ukraine," Grimoldi, who is also a member of the Italian parliament from the Lega party, said.
KIEV'S FAILURE TO SHARE GLOBAL DEMOCRACY VALUES
Kiev did not organize polling places in parts of the eastern Donbas region that it did not control or in Russia, where the largest Ukrainian diaspora lives, affecting up to 10 million eligible voters.
"It's another choice taken because of the situation between Ukraine and Russia. It's obvious that the Ukrainian government until two days ago had been taking choices with just one direction � to build a counter-position with Russia. Let's be optimistic and believe that Ukraine's next steps can have a different kind of approach to Russia," Grimoldi said.
In addition, the Ukrainian Culture Ministry put Italian singer Albano Carrisi, better known as Al Bano � he used to be popular in the Soviet Union, and remains popular among Russians to this day � on its list of individuals considered to be threat to national security. The move could have been linked to the singer's criticism of the sanctions put on Russia over its alleged role in the Ukrainian crisis.
"In a normal democracy you can sing what you want, and this is not the reason not to be able to travel. During the briefing for observers they said that Ukraine will be like the European Union, NATO, international organizations I mean, sharing the same values of freedom and democracy. Honesty, the values of freedom and democracy are not to stop singers and artists. They have the right to have their own opinion that sometimes could be different from the Ukrainian government," Grimoldi said.
VOTERS WITH INTERNATIONAL PASSPORTS UNABLE TO CAST BALLOT
Grimoldi observed several polling places in Kiev. While he did not notice any major violations during the election, he noted that voters were unable to use their international passport � as opposed to their national passport, which serves as the Primary form of identification in the country � to vote.
"The biggest trouble was that some people were trying to vote using as a document international passport instead of the national passport. By the rules, they have to use some documents that included the national passport, but not the international passport. For me it's pretty unusual, because international passport should be a document too, even maybe more important. So if you have your international passport, why can't you vote? This is the only kind of trouble that I and my team of observers saw," he said.
FUTURE PRESIDENT MUST ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE WITH RUSSIA
Grimoldi suggested that the next Ukrainian president would have to start an open dialogue with Russia in order to solve existing problems that had affected the two countries' relationship and, most of all, the Ukrainian people.
"Whoever is going to win the second round of election, he has only one choice to make: to start an open and serious dialogue, conversation in a way to solve problems with Russia. Because if the new Ukrainian president keeps the position just against Russia, it will be something that will be against his country first of all," Grimoldi said.
The observer stressed that problems would not just "disappear" if a frank dialogue was not established.
"Ukraine today is in the situation when it is to beg other countries to help it. So it's actually in the interests of Ukraine to open dialogue with Russia, also to be able to have a dialogue with all the other countries from a strong position, not to beg for something anymore ... They need to sit at the table to talk with Russia, day by day, to solve every single problem or to try to solve every single problem, because the first damage is exactly to Ukraine," Grimoldi said.
He concluded by saying he hoped to see a dialogue between Russia and Ukraine in the future.
With all but 0.11 percent of ballots counted so far, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has secured 30.23 percent of the vote, while incumbent President Petro Poroshenko ranks second with almost 16 percent. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is in third place with around 13 percent of the vote.
Zelenskiy and Poroshenko will face each other in the runoff on April 21.
