Concerns Over Legitimacy of Russian Elections
Opposition Called on Voters to Boycott Sunday’s Votes
Oct 11, 2009
On Sunday, an expected 30 million Russians chose between 90 000 candidates in Russia’s mayoral, regional, and district elections throughout 75 of 83 regions, according to the Associated Press. However, many expressed concerns leading up to and on the day of voting about the legitimacy of the elections.
Allegations of Barring Candidates and Misconduct
Russia’s main opposition parties allege they were barred from registering candidates, prohibiting them to appear on the ballot. In a BBC article published on October 11th, opposition leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov is quoted as saying, “These elections are illegitimate. They're nothing but a farce.”
Nemstov claims he was not allowed to register in the Moscow city council race. Election officials disqualified him by suggesting that the 5000 signatures collected for his candidacy were false and forged. Nemstov believes that top Russian and Moscow players in the political order effectively prevented all opposition candidates that posed a threat to United Russia, the ruling party, from running.
According to a BBC article from October 10th entitled “Protests in Moscow at ‘rigged’ polls,” the only parties that remain as opposition are those such as the Communists, which pose no real threat to the government.
Another opposition party, Yabloko, also claimed that many voters had difficulties casting their ballots. When they tried to vote, a vote had already been cast in their name. There have also been reports of influxes of voters at polling stations in districts in which they do not live.
Russian Central Election Commission Supports Outcome
When asked about the outcome of the election, Chairman of Russia's Central Election Commission, Vladimir Churov, applauded the electoral process. He told Itar-Tass, the official news agency of Russia, "The elections were recognized valid and were well organized, with a quite high turnout.”
An official with United Russia, the party of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and a supporter of President Dmitry Medvedev, told Reuters that the party won nearly every race it ran in.
Muscovites Not Convinced of Election’s Legitimacy
However, many Moscow residents were not convinced. According to the Associated Press, in a poll conducted by the Levada center in Moscow, 62 percent of Muscovites thought the vote would be an "imitation of an election campaign." Furthermore, 28 percent did not believe the elections would be fair. The poll surveyed 1,005 people and had a margin of error of 5.2 per cent.
The official RIA Novosti news agency reported that by 6 p.m., less than 30 percent of Muscovites voted.
Central Election Commission: Few Complaints and Lots of Support
The Central Election Commission said that the election went fairly peacefully with few complaints.
The city of Derbent in the Dagestan region faced problems with polling stations. According to emergency ministry spokesman Oleg Ugnivenko, 12 of 36 polling stations did not open because election officials received threats from unspecified militants.
RIA Novosti news agency reported that by 4 p.m., almost 70 percent of the residents of violence-plagued Chechnya and neighboring Ingushetia had voted. Both Chechnya and Ingushetia are holding their first municipal elections.
According to news reports, more than 75,000 police provided protection for the polls.
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