Arsen Avakov: Major risks related to presidential elections have already been gone

The major risks related to the elections' campaign have already been lifted, and the process of transferring power will be peaceful, Minister of Internal Affairs Mr. Arsen Avakov expressed his confidence. He said this during the 12th Kyiv Security Forum, organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation.

“Ukraine has passed a serious test, and the second round of elections is ahead. I am sure that the main risks related to the transfer of power campaign we have already passed. We will respect the choice of the Ukrainian people and the process of transferring power will be peaceful. And we are able to ensure this process,” the Minister stressed.

He noted that the first round of elections took place in a very difficult situation.

“We have made a decision that these elections should raise the bar for assessing democracy in our country. The Ministry of Internal Affairs had taken an absolutely equal position in relation to all candidates. Three months of close cooperation with civil society, the CEC and various institutions have led to the fact that this prevention had provided transparent and fair elections,” the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasized.

He also noted that there were violations during the first round of elections, and that fact of their fixation is a separate achievement of the electoral process.

"After all, we have created a separate system for fixing such violations, any citizen has access to information about these violations," the Minister said.

According to Mr. Avakov, only when a citizen is confident that he will be able to vote freely and his voice is protected - "only then we will receive free and democratic elections, as the U.S. Ambassador said."

FOR INFORMATION:

The Kyiv Security Forum was established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation in 2007. The forum is an annual event that acts as a platform for high-level discussion on relevant matters of national security as well as security in the Black Sea region, Europe and the world.