On April 21st, the second round of the presidential elections was held in Ukraine. After proceeding 99.84 per cent of votes, Vladimir Zelensky, a candidate of the Servant of Peoples party, seriously beat his rival the current president of the state, Petro Poroshenko (73.22% against 24.46%). Russia attentively watched the election process, including human rights activists.
According to Igor Borisov, President of the Board of the Russian Election Law Social Institute, “despite attempts to deprive the Ukrainian people of free and fair choice, voters provided their will and made their choice.” “They showed that efforts of current Ukrainian politicians had reached the bottom and demanded fundamental swing in the policy. It cannot be so anymore! We realize that Ukraine needs help, including human rights activists’ support,” Borisov believes.
Speaking about actions by the current Ukrainian authorities in the East of the country, he stated: “Four years of underachievement. The main merit is reduction of tensions along the constraint line. The trilateral contact group dealing with implementation of the Minsk action plan is doing nothing. The moments claim attention. They need a professional and diligent work without sudden steps.”
“We, Russian human rights activists, are ready to help our colleagues from Ukraine, the Ukrainian authorities on issues included in the bilateral agenda, i.e. prisoner exchange, holding elections in Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics. The process is stuck. The OSCE doesn’t contribute at all. Unfortunately, the organization is not interested in fair elections there,” Borisov said.
He suggested Zelensky’s team “should appoint Petro Poroshenko the head of the Ukrainian delegation in the Minsk Process trilateral group so he could carry out his obligations – to cease fire and normalize relationship between DPR, LPR and Ukraine.”
