§ Art. I-59Official Observers from Foreign States and International Organizations

1. Official observers from foreign states or international organizations shall be accredited by the
Central Election Commission. Proposals regarding accreditation of official observers shall be submitted
by foreign states or international organizations to the Central Election Commission directly or through
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs no later than seven days prior to the day of voting in the national election
and no later than ten days prior to the day of voting in the local election. The procedure for accreditation
of official observers from foreign states and international organizations is determined by the Central
Election Commission.
 2. Citizens of Ukraine may not be accredited as official observers from foreign states or
international organizations. Citizens of Ukraine, or foreigners, or persons without citizenship who speak
Ukrainian may accompany accredited official observers from foreign states and international
organizations in the territory of election precincts and during meetings of election commissions,
provided that he or she acts only as an interpreter (no more than one person with each official observer).
 3. A decision on accreditation of official observers from foreign states or international
organizations shall be made by the Central Election Commission no later than five days prior to the day
of voting.
 4. The Central Election Commission shall issue identification documents, of a form established
by it, to official observers from foreign states or international organizations.
 5. Official observers from foreign states or international organizations shall exercise their powers
in the territory of Ukraine.
 6. An official observer from a foreign state or an international organization shall be entitled to:
 1) be present at the meetings of candidates, their agents, representatives or authorized persons
 of parties (party organizations) that are electoral subjects with voters, at election campaign
 meetings, rallies, and meetings of election commissions;
 2) familiarize himself or herself with the election campaigning materials;
 3) be present, in compliance with the requirements of this Code, at the meetings and in the
 premises of precinct, district and territorial election commissions and observe the actions of

 

 election commission members from any distance, in particular during the issuance of ballot
 papers to voters and vote counting and establishing the results of an election, without
 physically obstructing the election commission members;
 4) make photographic, film, audio and video recordings, without violating the secrecy of voting;
 5) publicly express proposals, after the end of the elections, relating to preparation for the
 respective election and improving the legislation of Ukraine, taking into consideration the
 international experience; hold press-conferences in accordance with the requirements of the
 Laws of Ukraine;
 6) together with other observers from foreign states or international organizations, create
 temporary groups of official observers for coordination of their activities within the scope
 of their powers specified by this Code;
 7) receive copies of the protocols or other documents in the cases specified by this Code.
 7. Official observers from foreign states or international organizations shall perform observations
autonomously and independently, with due consideration of restrictions established by Part ten of
this Article.
 8. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, other state executive bodies, state bodies of the
Autonomous Republic of Ukraine, local self-government bodies, and election commissions shall
facilitate official observers from foreign states or international organizations in exercising their powers.
 9. Financial and material support for activities of official observers from foreign states or
international organizations shall be provided at the expense of funds of the states or organizations which
have sent such observers to Ukraine, or at the observers’ own expense.
 10. Official observers from foreign states and international organizations may not: interfere with
the work of the election commission, perform actions that impede the lawful course of the election
process, or unlawfully prevent the election commission members from exercising their powers; fill out
a ballot paper for a voter (in particular upon his or her request) or violate the secrecy of voting in any
other way and use their status in an activity not pertaining to the election process observation. These
restrictions shall also apply to persons who, in compliance with Part two of this Article, accompany
official observers, at the time when they directly work with the official observer from a foreign state or
an international organization.