The report, issued on Thursday, also contains a number of recommendations to the Ukrainian side for improving the transparency and impartiality of the election process. The report notes that the elections were marked by abuse of public funds, a lack of transparency during the campaign, and a lack of balanced media coverage. Also, the inability of opposition leaders to stand as candidates, following their convictions in trials that were criticized by  a number of European parliamentary institutions as unfair, negatively affected the election process and contradicted OSCE commitments, the report said. To enhance the transparency, impartiality, and independence of election commissions, the report recommends that all their sessions be public, with no closed-door meetings.