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Elections in Ukraine: an observer’s perspective by Marta N. Zielyk M arta Zielyk holds the position o f Senior Diplomatic Interpreter in the US Department o f State. All thoughts expressed in this article are her own and do not reflect the views o f the US government. I n e e d e d a b r e a k f r o m m y e v e r y d a y l if e in W a s h in g t o n , D .C ., a b r e a k f r o m a j o b that is u n d e n ia b ly in te re s tin g b u t h a d b e c o m e s o m e w h a t ro u tin e . M o s t p e o p le , f in d in g th e m s e lv e s in th is s itu a tio n , m ig h t b o o k a c ru is e to the C a r ib b e a n , o r se e k o u t a lu x u r y sp a fo r so m e p a m p e r in g . I d e c id e d to g o a d if f e r e n t ro u te, a n d s ig n e d u p f o r a m o n t h - lo n g m is s io n o f e le c tio n o b s e r v a tio n in U k r a in e . A f t e r d e c la r in g its in d e p e n d e n c e , U k r a in e b e c a m e a m e m b e r o f the O r g a n iz a t io n o f S e c u r it y a n d C o o p e r a t io n in E u r o p e ( O S C E ) , an o r g a n iz a tio n w h ic h g r e w o u t o f the H e l s i n k i A c c o r d s s ig n e d in 1975. T h u s , in re sp o n se to an in v it a t io n fr o m F o r e ig n M i n i s t e r A n a t o ly Z le n k o , th e O S C E d e p lo y e d o b s e rv e rs to m o n it o r the U k r a in ia n P a r lia m e n ta r y e le c tio n s o f M a r c h 31, a n d th u s, I fo u n d m y s e lf in U k r a in e . In a n y g iv e n ye a r, O S C E tea m s m o n it o r e le c tio n s in as m a n y as a d o z e n c o u n trie s . T h e e le c tio n o b s e rv e rs ' m is s io n is to a s c e rta in w h e th e r o r n o t there is c o m p lia n c e w it h in te rn a l e le c tio n le g is la tio n , w h e th e r th ere are v io la t io n s o f the r u le s o f the gam e, w h e th e r a ll c a n d id a te s h a v e e q u a l a c c e s s to the m e d ia , a n d w h e th e r the e le c tio n s are fre e , f a ir a n d tra nsparent. O u r r u le s o f c o n d u c t w e re v e r y p r e c is e a n d strict: o b s e rv e b u t d o n o t in te rv e n e , a n d a b o v e a ll - m a in t a in n e u tr a lity . F o llo w in g a n e le c tio n , O S C E issu e s a c o m p re h e n s iv e re p o rt d e s c r ib in g the e le c tio n at m o s p h e re , o u t lin in g v io la t io n s , a n d g iv in g a g e n e ra l a sse ssm e n t o f h o w fre e a n d f a ir the e le c tio n p ro c e s s w as. A s m a ll a rm y o f s h o rt-te rm o b s e rv e rs f o r the O S C E w o u ld a r riv e in U k r a in e in the f e w d a y s p r io r to the e le c tio n s . W e , the lo n g - t e r m o b s e rv e rs , b e g a n o u r w o r k a f u l l m o n th p r io r to e le c tio n d a y . T h e re w e re a p p r o x im a te ly t w e n ty - f iv e o f u s f r o m t w e lv e c o u n trie s . W e w e re d iv id e d in to tw o -p e r s o n te a m s a n d g iv e n s p e c if ic g e o g r a p h ic areas o f r e s p o n s ib ilit y . M y p a rtn e r T r e v o r (a v e r y p le a s a n t a n d k n o w le d g e a b le B r i t i s h g e n tle m a n ) a n d I w e re a s s ig n e d to the c it y o f K y i v . W e w e re g iv e n a c a r a n d d r iv e r a n d an in te r p reter/a ssista n t, M a r ia . T h a t i n i t s e l f w a s a n o v e l e x p e r ie n c e f o r m e. A s a U S d ip lo m a t ic in te rp re te r, I w a s s o m e w h a t b e m u s e d at b e in g g iv e n m y o w n p e rs o n a l in te rp re te r. S h r u g g in g o f f the ir o n y , I so o n se ttle d d o w n to the b u s in e s s o f e le c tio n o b s e rv in g . H e a d q u a rte rs w a s a b a r e ly re n o v a te d , y e t c h a r m in g a p a rtm e n t o n P r o r iz n a Street, r ig h t in the heart o f d o w n t o w n K y i v , w h ic h I re n te d f o r the m o n th o f M a r c h . M y n e ig h b o r s w e re a m a r t ia l arts s c h o o l, the U z b e k C o n s u la t e w it h its A s ia n - in s p ir e d a rc h ite c tu re , a n d a p e r p e t u a lly e m p ty I ta lia n restaurant n a m e d “ C o lu m b u s ” . T h e a p a rtm e n t w a s ju s t a b lo c k a w a y fr o m the “ K o z a k M a m a y ” re sta u ra n t w h e re the c h e f c la im s to p re p a re la m b s h a s h ly k a n d k o v b a s a the w a y the k o z a k y u s e d to in the 18th c e n tu ry . B e f o r e a r r iv in g in K y i v I h a d g ra n d p la n s o f e x p lo r in g the c it y i n d e p th , s p e n d in g m y d a y s v is it in g m u se u m s a n d art g a lle r ie s a n d s h o p p in g , a n d m y e v e n in g s g o in g to the th e a te r a n d s y m p h o n y . I so o n le a rn e d tha t I h a d s e r io u s ly u n d e re s tim a te d h o w m u c h An exhortation to vote: Elections 2002. Our right. Our Duty. Our future. (Independence Square, Kyiv.) Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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