13/07/2018 - 27/07/2018
Following the 1st round of successful public discussions in Vinnitsa and Chernihiv (cf. news of 15-16 June 2018), several regional meetings on the draft Electoral Code of Ukraine were held in the course of the month of July 2018.
These activities took place in the following locations: in Rivno - on 13 July, in Chernivcy – on 16 July, in Khmelnitskyi – on 17 July, in Odessa - on 19 July, Mikolaiv – on 24 July, in Kherson - on 25 July, in Zaporijia – on 26 July and Kropyvnytskyi - on 27 July 2018.
The deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, deputies and representatives of local self-government bodies, members of territorial, district and polling station election commissions, representatives of political parties, public organisations and mass media took part in these regional discussions. Participants discussed the composition, powers and procedures related to the election commissions, financial and logistical support for the preparation and conduct of elections, information on elections and election campaigning, preparation and holding of voting and counting of votes.
According to the results of the regional discussions in June-July 2018, it is planned to develop a thorough analysis of the remaining problematic points of the draft Election Code, as well as of the amendments suggested by the MPs prior to the second reading, and, together with the recommendations, to submit them to the Committee on Legal Policy and Justice of the Verkhovna Rada.
These activities are being carried out by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe within the framework of the project of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine "Supporting constitutional and legal reforms, constitutional justice and assisting the Verkhovna Rada in conducting reforms aimed at enhancing its efficiency".