Swiss boost aid for democracy in Ukraine
The Swiss government has increased its financial support for the democratic process in Ukraine.
It is also sending 13 election observers to monitor Sunday’s re-run of the second round of the country’s presidential election.
Ukrainian voters go to the polls on Sunday to elect a successor to Leonid Kuchma.
In the second round of the presidential election last month, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was declared the winner ahead of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko.
But following the election, hundreds of thousands of Yushchenko supporters took to the streets of the capital Kiev, denouncing what they saw as ballot-rigging by the prime minister’s camp.
Earlier this month the country’s Supreme Court declared the result invalid and ordered a re-run.
Around 12,000 independent observers are expected to monitor the vote, including 13 from Switzerland.
The Swiss government provided SFr320,000 ($277,600) for democratic projects ahead of and during the first rounds of voting in Ukraine. It has now made an additional SFr80,000 available ahead of Sunday’s run-off.
Swiss support
The money is being channelled through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), which opened its own office in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, four years ago.
The office, which is shared with Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, is responsible for coordinating funding for projects related to economic development and administrative reform.
But the SDC also supports a number of democracy projects in Ukraine, including “Foundation Europe 21”, an organisation which informs Ukrainian voters of their rights.
The Swiss government is also helping to fund an independent Ukrainian radio station that keeps voters informed about the election and the candidates.
Putin complains
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it clear that the financing of such projects represents interference in Ukraine’s internal affairs.
But the SDC’s Thomas Jenatsch denied that Switzerland was offering direct support to the Ukrainian opposition.
“All we want to do is make sure that the elections are free and fair, and that the people in Ukraine have access to information about their rights and about the candidates,” he said.
Switzerland has been supporting the political and economic transition in Ukraine since 1996.
swissinfo, based on an article previously published by NZZ
The European Parliament, the European Council and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have all sent election observers to Ukraine.
The United States, Britain, Canada, as well as 12 former Soviet bloc countries, are among the countries that have sent observers.
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