European Statesmen Praise Ukraine's New Electoral Law and Urge Signing of Association Agreement with EU

European Statesmen Praise Ukraine's New Electoral Law and Urge Signing of Association Agreement with EU PR Newswire VIENNA, Austria, September 21, 2012 VIENNA, Austria, September 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and former European Commission President Romano Prodi have praised a new electoral law approved by both government and opposition parties in Ukraine, and have called for the expeditious signing of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine. Speaking at an international conference here, Gusenbauer pointed out that the electoral law was prepared with the help of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission and approved by both government and opposition parties in the Ukrainian parliament, including the party of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. "This is of the utmost importance, as was the fact that 80 percent of Ukraine's parliament supported the new law, because this means there is a consensus about the conditions for the elections and the new electoral law is accepted as a common basis," Gusenbauer said. "This is a good prerequisite for a general acceptance of the outcome for the elections," he added. Gusenbauer was speaking at a conference hosted by the Renner Institute and the Austrian Institiute for International Affairs in Vienna.