The Central Election Commission responds to the another fact of discrediting campaign.

“The campaign to discredit the October 26 elections and the election administration continues. Interested parties are attempting to create a perception that there have been violations of the law by the election administration through baseless accusations. This occurs against the backdrop of the election administration"s request to the prosecutor’s office to initiate an investigation immediately after reports of potential criminal activity surfaced.

After the election administration has addressed all the manipulative information and accusations related to the electoral process from Election Day to the present, interested parties are beginning to assign blame to specific individuals. Electoral stakeholders, including representatives from certain local monitoring organizations, are raising questions about the accountability of the CEC leaders, making unsubstantiated accusations and asserting that they have committed a crime. The watchdogs participating in this campaign rely solely on hearsay, unfounded accusations, and the manipulation of information.

The election administration remains dedicated to ensuring transparency and providing accurate information to the public regarding all matters related to the elections. In this spirit, we urge all stakeholders, particularly those making allegations of wrongdoing, to present their evidence to the appropriate investigative authorities. This not only facilitates a thorough investigation but also upholds the legal and democratic processes designed to address such claims.

In the absence of such evidence, the motives of those making these allegations become questionable. Without substantiation, these claims risk misleading the public and eroding confidence in the electoral process. Additionally, unfounded accusations may serve political interests aimed at exerting undue pressure on the leaders and staff of the election administration.

If the goal is genuinely to uphold democratic principles, then transparency, cooperation with investigative bodies, and respect for due process must be prioritized. The election administration remains open and committed to any genuine, evidence-based investigation. It believes that efforts to mislead and discredit are inconsistent with democratic values and serve only to undermine public confidence in fair elections.

Furthermore, we would like to remind everyone that, in relation to the October 26 elections, various international observation missions—including the OSCE/ODIHR, the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI), European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO); European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE); —have positively evaluated the administration of the elections. Additionally, several activities conducted by the election administration during the pre-election period have received positive evaluations”, - reads the statement.