On 14 October 2014, when the election campaign comes to an end, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has passed the Law on Making Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine (related to strengthening liability for violation of citizen voting rights).
OPORA has repeatedly emphasized that this law should be adopted as soon as possible. The Cabinet of Ministers submitted the bill #4741 to the Parliament yet during the Presidential elections, but it wasn't considered yet.
The Law strengthens responsibility for electoral violations, brings to responsibility not ony bribers, but also the voters who accept a proposition or illegal incentive, for committing or non-committing of any actions directly related to realization of voting right (refusal to vote, vote more than one time at a polling station (in elections or referendum), voting or non-voting for the certain candidate, handing the ballot paper (referendum ballot) to another person.
According to the Constitution, a law which establishes or strengthens responsibility has no retroactive effect. Thus, OPORA calls the President of Ukraine and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada to urgently sign this bill. If it's signed after 15 days, it won't be used to punish guilty of voter bribery in this election campaign.