Ukraine's parliamentary elections a move toward democracy

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said Friday that Sunday's parliamentary elections have moved the country a step closer to democracy. "The recent election is a very important step forward toward transparency, democracy and honesty," Azarov told international observers. "These elections were the best in the history of independent Ukraine," he said at a meeting with observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The elections were held peacefully throughout the country despite a few conflicts in some electoral districts, which could be resolved within the framework of the current legislation, he said. Head of the OSCE mission, Audrey Glover, said the OSCE would like to seek further cooperation with Ukraine to improve democracy in the country's electoral process.