Report from Ukraine: Was the Presidential Election Fair?

Event Details

Ambassador John Woodworth and James M. Heilman, veteran international election observers, monitored the Ukrainian Presidential election contests between Prime Minister Viktor F. Yanukovich and opposition leader Viktor A. Yushchenko. Woodworth has served in senior positions in government, including ambassador and deputy negotiator to INF in the U.S.-Soviet Nuclear and Space talks; deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO Policy, and principal nuclear policy advisor at the U.S. Mission to NATO. On behalf of the Institute for Study of the CIS and Eastern Europe he observed the October 31 first round, November 21 second round, and December 26 rerun elections. He holds degrees from Duke (B.A., history) and Georgetown (M.S., foreign service). Heilman was director of elections and registrar of voters in Albemarle County from 1987 until 1999 when he began work in the international elections field. He has consulted on the conduct of elections throughout the world, including Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, Ukraine, and most recently Afghanistan. Heilman holds a .A., with highest distinction, from the University of Virginia, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.