Police forged testimony, election commissioner alleges

An election commissioner from one of five districts set for a revote said on Jan. 8 a police investigator attempted to falsify his testimony. When asked who added fake checkmarks to ruin ballots, the commissioner identified his commission’s chairperson, though police wrote in his statement, “I don’t know.” After he demanded the testimony be corrected, he alleged police destroyed the document. Ukraine’s parliamentary election in October was marred by vote fraud, forcing a revote in five districts that has yet to be scheduled.

Zenon Zawada: European Commission leaders stated that a fair, transparent revote in the five election districts in question is among the criteria for signing the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement this year. Claims of ongoing fraud, in this case involving police, is cause for concern, though the administration of President Viktor Yanukovych is likely to take special measures to ensure the revote meets international, democratic standards. A fair revote is among the simpler hurdles facing the Yanukovych administration in signing the Association Agreement.