[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 47 (Tuesday, April 26, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 26, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   UKRAINE'S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

 Mr. DeCONCINI. Mr. President, last week, Ukraine completed the 
second round of its first, post-Soviet parliamentary elections, 
electing 338 out of 450 deputies. This number is enough to constitute a 
quorum, and the new Parliament is scheduled to convene in mid-May. The 
vast majority of its members are newcombers, as only 56 from the old 
Parliament were reelected.
  Despite preelection fears of apathy, Ukrainian voters turned out in 
large numbers. The high turnout clearly attested to the electorate's 
desire for change and its disillusionment with the country's 
leadership.
  Mr. President, the Helsinki Commission, on which I serve as chairman, 
sent three staff members to observe the conduct of the campaign and the 
first two rounds of the elections. The staff visited over a dozen 
cities and towns. While observing some disturbing problems and 
irregularities in the electoral process, and notwithstanding 
shortcomings in the election law, the Helsinki Commission believes that 
Ukrainian voters generally were able to express their political will 
freely. The Commission's report on the elections will be available 
within a few weeks and will be sent to all Senate offices.
  The new Parliament will include Communists and their allies--about 
one-third--moderate National-Democrats--about one-quarter--and a large 
group of nonaligned independents, whose views and allegiances are a 
question mark. There are differing views on whether this Parliament 
will make progress on economic reform and adopt a new constitution that 
would address the question of separation of powers. This is a priority 
for the new Parliament. Ukraine simply cannot afford more deadlock in 
its governing structures; and it certainly cannot afford to have its 
economy continue to spiral downward.
  Much has been made of Ukraine's regional differences, including 
suggestions that Ukraine will break up. Differences between the more 
European-oriented west, and the Russia-oriented east do exist--the 
consequences, in part, of different historical legacies. Indeed, the 
results of the voting highlight these differences, with the National-
Democrats doing well in western Ukraine and Communists enjoying 
electoral success in the east and south. But these differences, while 
serious, should not be overstated, and, indeed, no group or party will 
have a clear majority in the new Parliament.
  In my view, Ukraine's future rests on its willingness to institute 
meaningful economic reform. Both the Parliament and the executive 
branch must tough political decisions in order to bring about real 
reform. Whether either is ready to do so remains, regrettably, an 
increasingly troubling question. For the sake of the Ukrainian people 
and stability in the region, I hope the Ukrainian Government finds the 
courage it has so far lacked.

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