Sen. Kelly Ayotte to Lead IRI’s Mission to Observe Ukraine’s Presidential Election

Washington, DC – IRI today announced its delegation to observe Ukraine’s May 25, 2014 presidential election, as well as mayoral elections in some cities, will be led by U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (NH). 

Ayotte will be joined on the delegation by Congressman Peter Roskam, who represents Illinois 6^th District and serves as chief deputy whip and chairs the House Democracy Partnership, and Mark Green, president of IRI, former U.S. ambassador to Tanzania and former U.S. congressman representing Wisconsin’s 8^th District.

The May 25 election will see Ukraine choose a new president following months of protests supporting closer ties with Europe, former-President Viktor Yanukovych abandoning the presidency and months of Russian provocations and threats.  Delegates will travel to Ukraine to monitor voting and ballot counting throughout the country.  Following the voting, IRI will issue a statement on the findings of the delegation.  Other delegates who will observe the election are:

• Gahl Hodges Burt, vice chairman of the American Academy in Berlin and a member of IRI’s Board of Directors;
• Nadia Diuk, vice president of programs for Africa, Central Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean at the National Endowment for Democracy;
• Rich Galen, political consultant;
• Barry Jackson, a member of the Board of Directors of the National Endowment for Democracy and a strategic advisor at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP;
• Michael V. Kostiw, former Republican staff director of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services;
• Tami Longaberger, chief executive officer of the Longaberger Company, chair of the Arab Women’s Leadership Institute’s Board of Directors and a member of IRI’s Board of Directors; and
• Olin Wethington, member of IRI’s Board of Directors, founder and chairman of Wethington International LLC and former special envoy on China.

Prior to the election, delegates will be briefed by representatives from the U.S. Embassy, political party representatives and Ukrainian election officials.  They will also be briefed on the rights and responsibilities of international observers and Ukrainian election law.  Delegates will then be deployed throughout the country where they will observe polling stations and identify and evaluate strengths and weaknesses in Ukraine’s election system, including campaign regulations, the balloting process, vote tabulation and reporting. 

Since 1983, IRI has monitored more than 155 elections in more than 47 countries, including Ukraine’s 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2012 parliamentary elections and the 1999, 2004 and 2010 presidential elections.