IT has been 21 years since Ukraine gained its independence from the Soviet Union. Since then, Ukrainians have made much progress on reforming and modernizing their country. Ukraine has also become an important partner on a number of pressing global and regional issues, from nuclear nonproliferation to food security and the settlement of protracted conflicts.

Ukraine now stands at an important juncture. Many of its neighbors in Central and Eastern Europe have shown the world what can be accomplished in terms of democratization and economic prosperity. Ukraine has the capacity to do the same. Important steps now have to be taken by the Ukrainian government to fulfill its full potential.

This is especially true when it comes to strengthening democratic institutions to ensure the respect of fundamental freedoms. Ukraine’s parliamentary elections at the end of this month will be an important bellwether for the state of these institutions. At the moment, there are some worrying trends, as confirmed by the latest interim report by the election observation mission of the O.S.C.E.’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

We are concerned about reports of the use of administrative resources to favor ruling party candidates and the difficulties several media outlets face. Similarly, we are concerned about the continuation of the practice of the Central Election Commission holding closed pre-session meetings and the lack of representation of some political parties on district and precinct election commissions. Distribution of material or financial benefits to voters is another issue that should be investigated and halted.