I'll slow down, then.
We believe those priorities should be modified to include good governance, democratic development, judicial reform, and civil society support. Canada can help foster NGO sector development, especially groups working in the areas of human rights, education, and law reform, as a vibrant civil society is one of the best guarantors of Ukraine's long-term democratic evolution.
In the interim, we request that Canada use all of the diplomatic tools at its disposal to communicate both publicly and privately Canada's displeasure with some of the regressive developments in Ukraine, and to warn the Ukrainian government of the potential consequences of its divisive and anti-democratic actions.
We suggest that a Canadian parliamentary delegation visit Ukraine this fall to meet with Ukrainian parliamentarians and government officials to deliver a strong message that Ukraine can only be accepted in the international community if it has a functioning democracy and respects human rights.
We also call upon the government to attend important events and hearings, such as the trial of Yuriy Lutsenko, to signal that Canada, along with other western democracies, is closely following how justice is being dispensed under the Yanukovych government.
With respect to the free trade talks for Ukraine and Canada, which Madam mentioned earlier, we believe those negotiations should be made conditional upon the Ukrainian government committing to respecting democracy and human rights. Given the political context in Ukraine, we strongly encourage Canada to ensure that the proposed Canada-Ukraine FTA contains specific provisions guaranteeing human rights, rule of law, and adherence to fundamental democratic principles as a condition to the conclusion of such an agreement.
We similarly request that Canada use all of its influence within the Euro-Atlantic community and Euro-Atlantic agencies to maintain pressure on the government to respect democracy and human rights. European governments are now realizing that Ukraine's slide into authoritarianism does not serve their long-term interests, and they are beginning to respond accordingly. Canada should support European efforts to promote Ukraine's integration into European structures.
Finally, with respect to the 2012 elections, we call upon Canada to begin preparing now for the thorough monitoring of Ukraine's parliamentary elections in 2012.
In addition to sending a sizable delegation of Canadian short-term electoral observers, greater emphasis must be placed on long- and medium-term monitoring of the electoral process in Ukraine and on publicizing any anti-democratic machinations in the lead-up to the vote as they occur. It is recommended that greater emphasis be placed on these longer-term observations given the growing sophistication of Ukrainian politicians in manipulating the electoral process to achieve a desired outcome, rather than engaging in blatant and massive fraud on election day.
Finally, there are serious concerns with these upcoming elections. How can they be declared free and fair if the leaders of two opposition parties, including the leader of the official opposition, are not able to participate?
Thank you for your time.