Ukraine Says Ready To Invite CIS Poll Monitors

Viktor Yushchenko (file photo) (RFE/RL) 14 December 2005 -- President Viktor Yushchenko says Ukraine is ready to invite observers from any country or international organization, including the Commonwealth of Independent States, to its parliamentary elections next year.

The presidential press service today said Yushchenko made the comments at a news conference late yesterday in Odesa.

Earlier yesterday, the Foreign Ministry said Ukraine does not plan to invite CIS observers to parliamentary elections set for 26 March 2006. A ministry spokesman said the assessments of the CIS observer mission at previous parliamentary and presidential elections had not been impartial.

Yushchenko said the issue of inviting foreign observers to Ukrainian elections should not be politicized.

(Interfax/korrespondent.net)