Golos reports numerous electoral violations
MOSCOW. Sept 14 (Interfax) – The movement Golos, which campaigns for voters’ rights, said in commenting on the outcome of the unified voting day that the elections in Russia had taken place with numerous violations, and that use of administrative technologies had been involved.
“Bearing in mind the outcome of the public monitoring of the September 13 elections, we believe it is necessary to come to the conclusion that the institution of elections in Russia was discredited by the unpunished use of administrative technologies, which negatively reflects on election campaigns, makes them non-free and unequal, and, consequently, distorts the election outcome, which eventually casts doubt on their genuineness and legitimacy,” Golos said in a statement posted on its website on Monday.
The observers believe that “the election outcome in most election campaigns was largely predetermined by decisions and actions made by the current administration and electoral commissions organizing the elections at the stage of the nomination and registration of candidates and parties, and also during election campaigns.”
“These elections have demonstrated that the regional and local authorities and election organizers are still pursuing their interests by virtually ignoring the federal administration’s declarations calling on them to guarantee ‘competitive elections with unpredictable outcomes’ and prevent electoral violations,” the authors of the statement say.
The document says that elections commissions organizing elections make selective and biased decisions at all stages of election campaigns and virtually in all regions where elections have been held by denying candidates and parties their right to an equal and fair approach.
“The opposition election participants find themselves in situations where their nomination and registration are directly opposed by elections commissions organizing the elections, and [by] regional and local administrations,” the statement says.
Golos has made recommendations to various branches of public administration to improve the situation.