European Parliament resolution on the results of the Ukraine elections
Date: 2005-01-13
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European neighbourhood policy, Ukraine, election result, objections to an election result, political cooperation, political crisis, presidential election

6.10.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 247 E/155

Thursday 13 January 2005

5.
Considers that the public-debt relief process should be speeded up and extended in countries whose
governments respect human rights and the principles of good governance and give priority to poverty
eradication;

Stresses that previous initiatives, including the enhanced HIPC initiative, are still inadequate in the
6.
current context of economic globalisation, and emphasises that any such initiatives must be seen as a step
towards the phasing out of all debts;

Highlights the need, in this context, to adapt the current HIPC initiative to meet the requirements of
7.
eligible countries which have not yet reached the decision point due to extreme political instability, and to
provide more flexibility in other respects as well, such as the duration of the ‘track record period’, the
content of both ‘track record’ and interim poverty reduction strategy papers, and the allocation of debt relief
during the interim period;

8. Welcomes, in this context, the postponement of the deadline imposed by the HIPC initiative's sunset
clause to the end of 2006, which provides an opportunity for some eligible post-conflict countries to build
the necessary track record to enter the initiative; calls for additional debt relief focused on reconciliation and
infrastructure rehabilitation for these countries, in order to reduce the likelihood of further conflicts;

9.
Considers that any additional funds obtained by governments through debt relief should be allocated
to social projects by means of plans agreed with donors and civil society, so as to increase social expendi-
ture in areas such as basic education, primary health care and HIV/AIDS;

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure — through effective coordination within
10.
the G8 group, the World Bank and the IMF — that no country genuinely committed to poverty reduction,
good governance and economic reform is denied the chance to achieve the Millennium Development Goals
through lack of finance;

11.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the ACP-EU Council, the African
Union, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the governments and
parliaments of the Member States.

P6_TA(2005)0009

Results of Ukraine elections

European Parliament resolution on the results of the Ukraine elections

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its resolution of 20 November 2003 (1) on ‘Wider Europe — Neighbourhood: A New

Framework for Relations with our Eastern and Southern Neighbours’,

— having regard to its resolutions on the previous rounds of the presidential elections in Ukraine adopted

on 28 October 2004 (2) and 2 December 2004 (3),

— having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and

their Member States, and Ukraine (4), which entered into force on 1 March 1998,

— having regard to European Council Common Strategy 1999/877/CFSP on Ukraine (5), adopted by the

European Council in Helsinki on 11 December 1999,

— having regard to the Final Statement and Recommendations of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Coop-

eration Committee of 16/17 February 2004,

(1) OJ C 87 E, 7.4.2004, p. 506.
(2) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2004)0046.
(3) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2004)0074.
(4) OJ L 49, 19.2.1998, p. 3.
(5) OJ L 331, 23.12.1999, p. 1. Common Strategy as amended by Common Strategy 2003/897/CFSP of the European

Council of 12 December 2003 (OJ L 333, 20.12.2003, p. 96).

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6.10.2005

Thursday 13 January 2005

— having regard to the Communication from the Commission of 12 May 2004 on the European Neigh-

bourhood Policy (COM(2004)0373),

— having regard to the Joint Statement of the European Union-Ukraine Summit of 8 July 2004 in

The Hague,

— having regard to the statements and the preliminary findings and conclusions of the international elec-

tion observer mission in Ukraine on all rounds of the presidential election,

— having regard to the decision of the Ukraine Supreme Court to hold a re-run of the second round of
the presidential election on 26 December 2004 and the announcement on the final results of the
presidential elections in Ukraine by the Central Election Commission,

— having regard to the decisions of the Ukraine Supreme Court on the validity of the repeat of the runoff

presidential elections on 26 December 2004,

— having regard to the conclusions of the Brussels European Council of 17 December 2004,

— having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the European Neighbourhood Policy recognises Ukraine's European aspirations and the import-
ance of Ukraine as a country with strong historical, cultural and economic links to the Member States
of the EU, and whereas a genuine and balanced partnership can only be developed on the basis of
shared values with regard, in particular, to democracy, the rule of law and respect for human and civil
rights,

B. whereas the situation concerning the first two rounds of these elections has led to a serious political

crisis in Ukraine and even to threats to break up the unity of the country,

C. whereas the European Union and its Member States have acted promptly by sending mediators and
in particular the European Parliament, has been

whereas the leading role of the European Union,
instrumental in defusing tension and bringing about an end to the electoral and political crisis,

D. whereas the constitutional reform and the ensuing compromise reached on 8 December 2004 between
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and the opposition led by Viktor Yushchenko ended the threat of
an escalation of the tense situation in Ukraine, allowed the settlement of the political crisis and
smoothed the way for a free, fair and transparent rerun of the second round of the presidential elec-
tions on 26 December 2004,

E. whereas more than 300 000 Ukrainians and more than 12 000 foreign observers were present as
monitors at the polling sites to watch the election process as part of the International Election Observ-
ation Mission led by the OSCE,

F. whereas, according to the election observers and the head of the Ukraine's Central Election Commis-
sion, no major problems were reported, only minor infringements that did not affect the validity and
overall outcome of the elections,

G. whereas the Ukraine Supreme Court rejected all legal challenges lodged by defeated former Prime Min-

ister Yanukovich aimed at invalidating the 26 December 2004 vote,

H. whereas on 10 January 2005 the Central Election Commission announced the final result, which gave

Mr Yushchenko 52 % of the votes as against 44 % for Mr Yanukovich,

I. whereas Ukrainian society has strongly manifested its commitment to democracy, the rule of law and

other values which are at the basis of the European Union,

J. whereas Ukraine has clearly confirmed its desire to be part of Europe and its willingness to be inte-

grated with the European Union on the basis of the EU's fundamental principles and criteria,

K. whereas a broad consensus between the political forces has been reached and the internal political crisis

resolved with full respect for democratic principles,

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Thursday 13 January 2005

1. Welcomes the substantially fair elections held on 26 December 2004 and expresses satisfaction that
the right of the Ukrainian people to freely elect their President has been recognised and implemented,
representing a victory for democratic values, institutions and procedures in Ukraine;

2.
Stresses again the role of the mediators in bringing about this successful conclusion of the Ukrainian
crisis, including the EU High Representative for CFSP, the Presidents of Poland and Lithuania, and the mis-
sions of the European Parliament;

3. Welcomes the findings of the OSCE/ODIHR International Election Observation Mission, which indi-
cate that the rerun of the second round of the presidential elections brought Ukraine ‘substantially closer to
meeting international standards’, and congratulates the Ukrainian people, who in a non-violent and mature
way through their institutions and according to their laws succeeded in resolving a political crisis and setting
their country firmly on the path towards democracy and the assumption of its rightful place in the Euro-
pean community of democratic nations;

Congratulates Viktor Yushchenko on his election victory in the presidential run-off on 26 December
4.
2004, and calls on all sides to accept the election results; congratulates, also, the Ukrainian people and
authorities for the civic and democratic spirit demonstrated throughout the December 2004 crisis;

Calls for a speedy and efficient transfer of power, and calls on the President elect rapidly to form a

5.
new administration to end the political stalemate;

6.
Calls upon the new Ukrainian political leadership to consolidate Ukraine's espousal of common Euro-
pean values and objectives by taking further steps to promote democracy, civil society and the rule of law,
by resuming the liberal market reforms and by overcoming the political divisions in Ukraine;

Calls on the newly elected authorities to engage in particular in the further development of democratic
7.
institutions, assuring civil liberties as well as providing a framework for the existence and proper function-
ing of a democratic opposition;

Is concerned about the deep divisions within Ukraine and the splits along cultural and regional lines
8.
affecting the unity of the country, which were exacerbated by the political stand-off between the candidates,
and calls on all political leaders, including former opponents, to make efforts to heal those rifts and reform
the country; considers continuing threats of separatism in Ukraine to be unacceptable and expresses its
commitment to the territorial integrity of Ukraine; calls on the international community to support these
aspirations;

9.
Pledges its continuing support, assistance and commitment to the Ukrainian people's establishment of
a free and open democratic system, their creation of a prosperous market economy and their country's
assumption of its rightful place in the community of democratic nations;

10.
Recalls the democratic spirit of the Ukrainian people demonstrated during the political crisis of
December 2004; calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to take the expectations
and hopes that have been raised by the European Union's close involvement in the resolution of this crisis
into account in their future approach towards Ukraine;

11. Welcomes the Council's intention to organise an early EU-Ukraine Cooperation Council with a view
to the swift adoption of the EU-Ukraine Action Plan; calls on the the Council and the Commission to
engage in the rapid implementation of this plan and to include new measures aimed at strengthening the
role of civil society;

12.
Calls on the Council and the Commission to consider at the same time a revision of the European
Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan, which must take account of the new situation, thus giving the new
Ukrainian Government the opportunity to renegotiate the Plan in the light of its deep aspirations for Euro-
pean integration; calls on the Council and the Commission to include additional offers such as the organi-
sation of a donors' conference for Ukraine equivalent to the donors' conference for Georgia of 16/17 June

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Thursday 13 January 2005

2004; calls on the Council and Commission also to consider visa facilitation for Ukraine, prompt recogni-
tion of its market-economy status and support for its joining the World Trade Organisation in order to
further upgrade the relationship and to meet the expectations and hopes raised by the European Union's
close involvement in the peaceful Orange Revolution;

Calls on the Council and the Commission to support independent media institutions, as well as a

13.
legal framework in which independent media can thrive;

Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to consider, besides the measures of
14.
the Action Plan within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, other forms of association
with Ukraine, giving a clear European perspective for the country and responding to the demonstrated
aspirations of the vast majority of the Ukrainian people, possibly leading ultimately to the country's acces-
sion to the EU;

15.
Calls on the Council, the Commission, and the Member States to support economic and adminis-
trative reforms in Ukraine through the relevant programmes and projects, including a substantial increase in
financial assistance;

16.
Recalls in this context the provisions of Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, which state that
EU membership is an option for all European countries that satisfy the relevant conditions and obligations;
looks forward to a sustained transition process in Ukraine that would bring the country towards this objec-
tive, and commits itself to assisting and supporting Ukraine in this process;

17.
Believes that the crisis which arose in Ukraine represents a test case for the EU in its efforts to
promote democracy, human rights and respect for the rule of law in all neighbouring countries; underlines
the importance of good neighbourly relations with all its neighbours;

18.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Parliament and
Government of Ukraine, the Parliamentary Assemblies of NATO and the OSCE, and the Council of Europe.

P6_TA(2005)0010

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche — Tibet

European Parliament resolution on Tibet

The European Parliament,

— recalling its earlier resolutions on Tibet and the human rights situation in China,

— having regard to its resolution of 18 November 2004 (1) on Tibet, the case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche,

— having regard to the human rights dialogue between the EU and China,

— having regard to religious freedom in China and in particular the case of Julius Jia Zhiguo, bishop of

the northern Chinese province of Hebei,

— having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 2 December 2002 the Kardze Intermediate People's Court in the Kardze Tibetan Auton-
omous Prefecture of Sichuan Province sentenced Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, an influential and respected
Buddhist lama, to death with a two-year suspension and his attendant, Lobsang Dhondup, to death
without suspension,

B. whereas the involvement of Tenzin Delek and Lobsang Dhondup in a series of bombings or in incite-

ment to separatism has not been proven,

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2004)0067.