KIEV, August 30 (RIA Novosti) - The Ukrainian Parliament on Monday scrapped restrictions on participation in local elections for parties which have been established less than a year before elections.
The law previously allowed only parties which have been officially registered for more than a year to take part in local elections.
The law also previously prohibited independent candidates from participating in local elections, and only local party cells had the right to nominate candidates.
In June, head of the Front for Change opposition party Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced plans to challenge the local election law in court, as it limited citizens' constitutional rights.
"The law adopted on July 10... substantively limits citizens' constitutional rights, excludes a range of political forces from the elections and turns democratic expression of will into a nonentity," a statement on Yatsenuk's official website said.
President Yanukovych initiated an extraordinary parliamentary session so deputies could approve the new election legislation before local elections planned for October 31. RIA Novosti
