Interns of the 16th Parliamentary Internship Program.

Olha Myrtsalo

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

• Political parties better aggregate and represent citizen interests.
• Elections are fair, transparent and competitive.
• Local political actors more effectively engage with citizens.

OVERVIEW

USAID supports Ukraine in its continuing effort to consolidate democratic institutions and practices through improved elections and political processes. USAID helps build representative and responsive political parties, improve the electoral framework in line with European standards, and facilitate civic oversight of elections and political processes. USAID assistance encourages active, informed citizen participation in the political process and more responsive politicians. USAID assistance has helped ensure that recent elections were fair, transparent and peaceful.

OUR PROGRAMS

Political Parties and Processes

USAID programs promote political processes that lead to more representative and accountable governance, which include training sessions for political party activists and locally elected officials, as well as facilitated public discussions to improve communication with civic groups and citizens. They also provide support to NGO-led advocacy campaigns on electoral and political process issues. Regional exchanges for locally elected officials across Ukraine showcase best practices for good governance, building sustainable linkages and breaking down stereotypes between eastern and western Ukraine. Programs also support political party finance reform, working to reduce the undue influence of money in politics.

Electoral Oversight and Reform

USAID programs monitor and report on the quality and competitiveness of key Ukrainian elections. They provide support for nationwide domestic long- and short-term observation teams that assess the electoral environment and observe the conduct of elections. Programs also strengthen the capacity of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to train election officials and inform voters.  Between elections, USAID partners advocate for electoral reform adhering to international best practices and support civic oversight of its implementation. They monitor the work of elected officials to increase their accountability to voters. 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

• Ukraine enacts and implements landmark political finance reform;
• Hundreds of local civic groups and thousands of political party members receive training in civic activism and public outreach;
• Ukrainian NGOs engage thousands of citizens in advocacy campaigns and monitoring elected officials;
• Domestic election organizations deter fraud, educate voters, and report on the conduct of key elections;
• Gender representation requirements for party lists lead to more women elected to local councils.