Ukrainian Parliamentary Election Will Test Country's Democracy

The Houston Chronicle reported Ukrainians headed to the polls Sunday to vote on 450 parliamentary seats.
Business Week reported opinion polls show the Party of Regions, a group that formerly oversaw the Soviet republic in conjunction with the Communists and is connected to current President Viktor Yanukovych, winning the parliamentary majority.
Voice of America reports many Ukrainians see this election as an opportunity to test the level of democracy Ukraine has risen to in comparison with its former Soviet neighbors Russia and Belarus. Voice of America also stated that opposition challenges to Yanukovych may call his authoritarian power into question.
Voice of America reports that as many as 3,500 foreign observers have arrived in Ukraine to oversee the voting process of the country whose population is only 46-million.
Ukrainians appear skeptical of voting methods according to Voice of America who cited a poll from earlier this month where 47 percent of those asked thought voting obstacles could have enough of an impact as to affect the eventual election outcome.