RUSSIA - ELECTION
European gov'ts criticise Russian vote
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Several European countries have condemned the Russian election as unfair. Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov says he has proof there was voter fraud.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
By AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Monday his party's landslide election victory as a vote for stability, but foreign observers cried foul and the West urged the Kremlin to probe fraud allegations.
"It's a good example of the domestic political stability in Russia," Putin told reporters after visiting a research centre on the outskirts of Moscow.
"This feeling of responsibility of our citizens is the most important indication that our country is strengthening, not only economically and socially, but also politically," Putin said.
With 98 percent of ballots counted from Sunday's election, Putin's United Russia party had secured 64.1 percent, which translated into more than two thirds of seats in parliament -- enough to change the constitution.
The Communist Party came a distant second with 11.6 percent, while two other pro-Kremlin parties -- the ultra-nationalist LDPR party and the centre-left A Just Russia party -- got 8.2 percent and 7.8 percent respectively.
Seven other parties failed to cross a new seven-percent election threshold, making it the first time since the Soviet collapse in 1991 that the liberal opposition failed to win a single seat.
The Communists and other opposition parties denounced the ballot as the most dishonest in Russian history and called for protests, while foreign observers said the Kremlin's backing for Putin's party amounted to an "abuse of power."
"We're protesting against the falsified result of the elections," Yevgeny Kopyshev, 68, a retired Russian general, said at a Communist Party rally with dozens of protesters in central Moscow, surrounded by police and soldiers.
"Election Fraud Is The Death of Russia," read one placard at the rally.
The criticisms were taken up by Western governments, with the United States calling for a full investigation of reported violations and NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer voicing "concern" over democratic freedoms in Russia.
But Putin said that the result reflected a national desire for continuity.
"It is clear that Russians will never let their country go down the destructive path of certain countries in the former Soviet space," Putin said, referring to pro-Western popular revolts in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine.
According to the Kremlin, French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke by telephone with Putin and offered "warm" congratulations although France's Foreign Ministry called on Russia to "shed full light" on fraud allegations.
Germany meanwhile said there was "no doubt" that the elections were not free and fair, while Britain urged Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC) to investigate "urgently" the charges of electoral abuse.
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi appealed to Russian authorities to "clarify" the election results and there were also expressions of concern from Poland.
In Moscow, election observers from the Council of Europe and the parliamentary assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said the vote had fallen short of international norms.
"Merging of the state and a political party is an abuse of power and clear violation of international standards," Goran Lennmarker, head of the OSCE's parliamentary assembly, told reporters.
Putin and most of Russia's regional governors headed up the electoral lists for United Russia, a tactic seen as having contributed to the party's overwhelming victory, even though Putin cannot take a seat in parliament.
Russia's election commission rejected the criticisms, accusing European observers of bias and hinting at US interference, saying that the monitoring was "a political order" from "across the ocean."
The Russian foreign ministry also slammed the European observers, calling their assessment "strongly doubtful."
"Though they did say that elections were well organised, that monitors saw significant technical improvement, that polling stations worked well and voting was held in calm and welcoming atmosphere, all of this is accompanied by slogans unsupported by facts," the ministry said.
Meanwhile, several thousand members of the pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi held a victory rally in central Moscow, carrying placards that read "The Traitors Will Not Seize Power" and "Victory Is Ours."
Chess legend Garry Kasparov, who spent five days in jail last week for leading an unsanctioned anti-Kremlin rally, urged the opposition to unite, saying: "Everyone has one goal -- to save the country from dictatorship."
Eleven opposition protesters were detained in Putin's native city of Saint Petersburg at a small protest, the police said.
The parliamentary elections were seen by analysts as setting the scene for the presidential election in March next year at which Putin is obliged to step down after serving a maximum of two consecutive terms in office.
So far no political figure appears to have a realistic chance of winning the powerful post of president has come forward, but all candidates are due to register for the vote by December 23.
United Russia has said it will nominate its candidate on December 17.
Putin has said that a parliamentary victory would give him a "moral" mandate to retain a leading political role.
"It's a good example of the domestic political stability in Russia," Putin told reporters after visiting a research centre on the outskirts of Moscow.
"This feeling of responsibility of our citizens is the most important indication that our country is strengthening, not only economically and socially, but also politically," Putin said.
With 98 percent of ballots counted from Sunday's election, Putin's United Russia party had secured 64.1 percent, which translated into more than two thirds of seats in parliament -- enough to change the constitution.
The Communist Party came a distant second with 11.6 percent, while two other pro-Kremlin parties -- the ultra-nationalist LDPR party and the centre-left A Just Russia party -- got 8.2 percent and 7.8 percent respectively.
Seven other parties failed to cross a new seven-percent election threshold, making it the first time since the Soviet collapse in 1991 that the liberal opposition failed to win a single seat.
The Communists and other opposition parties denounced the ballot as the most dishonest in Russian history and called for protests, while foreign observers said the Kremlin's backing for Putin's party amounted to an "abuse of power."
"We're protesting against the falsified result of the elections," Yevgeny Kopyshev, 68, a retired Russian general, said at a Communist Party rally with dozens of protesters in central Moscow, surrounded by police and soldiers.
"Election Fraud Is The Death of Russia," read one placard at the rally.
The criticisms were taken up by Western governments, with the United States calling for a full investigation of reported violations and NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer voicing "concern" over democratic freedoms in Russia.
But Putin said that the result reflected a national desire for continuity.
"It is clear that Russians will never let their country go down the destructive path of certain countries in the former Soviet space," Putin said, referring to pro-Western popular revolts in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine.
According to the Kremlin, French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke by telephone with Putin and offered "warm" congratulations although France's Foreign Ministry called on Russia to "shed full light" on fraud allegations.
Germany meanwhile said there was "no doubt" that the elections were not free and fair, while Britain urged Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC) to investigate "urgently" the charges of electoral abuse.
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi appealed to Russian authorities to "clarify" the election results and there were also expressions of concern from Poland.
In Moscow, election observers from the Council of Europe and the parliamentary assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said the vote had fallen short of international norms.
"Merging of the state and a political party is an abuse of power and clear violation of international standards," Goran Lennmarker, head of the OSCE's parliamentary assembly, told reporters.
Putin and most of Russia's regional governors headed up the electoral lists for United Russia, a tactic seen as having contributed to the party's overwhelming victory, even though Putin cannot take a seat in parliament.
Russia's election commission rejected the criticisms, accusing European observers of bias and hinting at US interference, saying that the monitoring was "a political order" from "across the ocean."
The Russian foreign ministry also slammed the European observers, calling their assessment "strongly doubtful."
"Though they did say that elections were well organised, that monitors saw significant technical improvement, that polling stations worked well and voting was held in calm and welcoming atmosphere, all of this is accompanied by slogans unsupported by facts," the ministry said.
Meanwhile, several thousand members of the pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi held a victory rally in central Moscow, carrying placards that read "The Traitors Will Not Seize Power" and "Victory Is Ours."
Chess legend Garry Kasparov, who spent five days in jail last week for leading an unsanctioned anti-Kremlin rally, urged the opposition to unite, saying: "Everyone has one goal -- to save the country from dictatorship."
Eleven opposition protesters were detained in Putin's native city of Saint Petersburg at a small protest, the police said.
The parliamentary elections were seen by analysts as setting the scene for the presidential election in March next year at which Putin is obliged to step down after serving a maximum of two consecutive terms in office.
So far no political figure appears to have a realistic chance of winning the powerful post of president has come forward, but all candidates are due to register for the vote by December 23.
United Russia has said it will nominate its candidate on December 17.
Putin has said that a parliamentary victory would give him a "moral" mandate to retain a leading political role.
There are no reactions so far.
Be the first user to react to this article.
You will only have to select the button <<REACT>> and fill the indicated fields.
Your reaction
Your reaction has been sent to FRANCE 24. Thank you for your feedback.
France 24 - Send by e-mail
The article has successfully been sent by email