|
|
News from and about Ukraine & Ukrainians: Ukrainian Community Press Releases
|
BRAMA, March 26, 2002, 9 am ET
Congressman Schaffer to monitor Ukraine's elections
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Bob Schaffer (R-CO) departs tomorrow for a weeklong mission to Ukraine. Schaffer is part of a U.S. delegation to monitor Ukraine's March 31 parliamentary and local elections.
Sponsored by the non-partisan International Republican Institute (IRI), the delegation's Election Day observation mission will focus on election administration. Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, recently approved fundamental changes in the conduct of local and parliamentary elections, effectively requiring election commissions to allow more citizens to help administer elections for the first time.
IRI conducts programs outside the United States to promote democracy and strengthen free markets and the rule of law. Its programs are nonpartisan and adhere to fundamental American principles such as individual liberty, the rule of law, and the entrepreneurial spirit that fosters economic development.
Schaffer, whose mother is a Ukrainian immigrant, chairs the 49-member Congressional Ukrainian Caucus. This week's mission marks Schaffer's seventh to Ukraine. He has become a champion of U.S./Ukrainian issues, and is a leading advocate in Congress for closer relations between Americans and the Ukrainian people. On March 13, 2002, Schaffer introduced legislation (H.R. 3953) to permanently normalize trade between the U.S. and Ukraine.
Ukraine is a founding member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which in December 1991 succeeded the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. With a total area of approximately 233,090 square miles, Ukraine is the second-largest country in Europe.
Congressman Schaffer was first elected to Congress in November of 1996. He is a member of the Committees on Agriculture, Resources, and Education and Workforce. He is Vice Chairman of the Education Subcommittee on Education Reform, Chairman of the Western Caucus Water Working Group, Co-Chair of the Western Water Caucus, President of the Republican Junior Class, and the Speaker's appointee to the House Republican Policy Committee. His official Internet website address is www.house.gov/schaffer.
More BRAMA Press Releases -- Click Here
Comments and observations about this article and other news
may be posted to the BRAMA News & Politics Comment Board
DISCLAIMER:The contents of press releases on this website represent
solely the positions of their respective authors and organizations.
BRAMA neither endorses nor disapproves of the views expressed therein.
BRAMA retains all final rights as to what may or may not appear on these
pages. Anyone wishing to comment on the press releases is welcome to
post notices to the News and Politics Comment Board.
|