At a time when our brave Armed Forces of Ukraine, law enforcement, territorial defense forces and even civilians are heroically repelling the occupiers at the front, the Commission, realizing the need to protect democracy from destruction, on February 27 appealed to relevant international organizations and foreign election administration bodies with a call to terminate cooperation and to remove the electoral institutions of the aggressor country.
Unfortunately, according to the results of the ACEEEO member states' vote on March 4, 2022, no decision was taken to remove the electoral bodies of russia and belarus. Instead, a second vote was scheduled for March 9, but on the issue of suspending the membership of these bodies in the organization.
It is worth noting that the continued presence of representatives of the aggressor countries in the civilized institutions contradicts the nature of these institutions, the mission of the ACEEEO to support good governance and democracy. The lack of reaction to the previous so-called presidential election in belarus, the tacit consent to hold russian federation elections in Ukraine - in Crimea, inaction on acts of aggression in Ukraine today is a destructive force for the civilized world, distorts the long-established principles of democracy.
On March 7, 2022, the National Electoral Commission of the Republic of Poland and the State Election Commission of the Republic of Slovenia announced their withdrawal from ACEEEO in response to the disgraceful results of voting to expel the aggressor countries from ACEEEO. The State Electoral Commission of the Republic of Croatia and the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Lithuania also announced their withdrawal today.
We declare that the Central Election Commission of Ukraine has decided to withdraw from the ACEEEO in accordance with the Charter of the organization. The CEC of Ukraine cannot stand by and tolerate the presence of undemocratic election administration bodies within international institutions.
We call on all other members of the democratic standards, in view of the atrocities committed by the aggressor's representatives in Ukraine, not to tolerate the terrorist country and to decide to leave the Organization. In this situation, it is impossible to stay away. Lack of condemnation means support!
At the same time, we are grateful for the support and solidarity with Ukraine of the electoral bodies of Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Lithuania and other countries, which reaffirmed their position that pseudo-democracy and tyranny have no place in a civilized community.
Ukraine will win, Democracy will win - the World (Civilization) will win! Glory to Ukraine!