Ukrainian president isn't too fond of American resolution pertaining to Ukraine's elections

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma said that the resolution that was issued by the House of Representatives of the US Congress urging the Ukrainian government to guarantee honest elections was an unprecedented event. The resolution pertaining to the Ukrainian elections was passed on Tuesday, March 19, with 480 votes for and only one vote against.

PRAVDA.Ru reported that the draft of the resolution was considered at the beginning of February. The document describes the basic issues that raised the concern of the USA government, such as flaws in Ukrainian election laws, the Gongadze case, pressure placed on the media, ect. It also contained recommendations for observing democratic norms during the election campaign. This document was approved, being slighted amended.

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma expressed his surprise on Friday at a press-conference. Kuchma said that the Ukrainian economy and democracy were developing. The president claimed that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry would study the circumstances in which the resolution was passed. “Is the Ukrainian nation a soccer ball to be kicked?” – said Kuchma.

Orest Deichakivsky, an adviser to the US Congressional committee for security and cooperation in Europe said that the events of recent years, such as the assassination of journalist Grigory Gongadze, corruption, intimidating, and pressure on the mass media, were events that disappointed even those congressmen who had done a lot for Ukraine. Deichakivsky said that the elections would show if Ukraine was going to keep on walking along its democratic way or not.

Andrey Lubensky PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov