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OSCE presented its interim report on Russian election

Yesterday (21 November) OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) unveiled its Interim Report on campaigning before Russian parliamentary election, scheduled for December 4. The report mainly focused on legislation and contained only facts without making any conclusions.

Among the significant legislative changes since the last parliamentary elections, the report emphasized increasing of the State Duma’s (lower house of the parliament) term from four to five years; granting ‘compensatory’ mandates to those parties who will receive from 5% to 7% of votes (the threshold is 7%); reduction of the number of support signatures to be collected by the party to register for elections; and removal of electoral deposits to pay by registering parties.

However, the report commented on the low level of campaigning and alleged violations during the campaigning process. It is notified that the level of campaigning was low until the first big rallies on 4 November conducted by the United Russia party and Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and a couple of days later by the Communist Party of Russia (KPRF). The ODIHR report pointed out that some parties voiced concern about the governing party (the United Russia) ‘making use of administrative resourses’ during electoral campaining. One such case was the filmed attempt of the Head of the Izhevsk city administration (Republic of Udmurtia) to influence voter choices by promising bonuses to veterans if they vote for the governing party. Earlier, Russia's election authority, the Central Election Commission, accused the ODIHR of applying double standards and politicizing the election process.

Seven political parties obtained registration for participation in the parliamentary elections of December 4. They are the United Russia, the KPRF, the LDPR, the Just Russia Party, the Right Cause Party, the Yabloko Party, and the Patriots of Russia. According to the latest survey results of the sociological Levada Center (October 2011), United Russia is expected to gain 51% of votes, which is a decrease of 8% since late September.

The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission (EOM) has been conducting quantitative and qualitative media monitoring of campaign coverage every day during since 31 October. The next OSCE report will follow after the polls, on December 5.

Sources: OSCE, Russiavotes.org, Reuters. Image : Flickr.