IPA CIS International Observers Continue Long-term Monitoring of Presidential Elections in Russia

The IPA CIS international observers held a meeting with the leadership of the regional election headquarters of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) in St. Petersburg, from which Nikolay Kharitonov was nominated as a candidate for the upcoming presidential elections in Russia.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Secretaries General of the IPA CIS Council – Plenipotentiary Representatives of the Parliaments of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member Nations: Shabdanbek Alishev and Abdukhalil Gafurzoda, as well as observers from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and China, experts from the International Institute for Monitoring Democracy Development, Parliamentarism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations (IPA CIS IIMDD) Stanislav Epifantsev and Stanislav Tkachenko.

Deputy Head of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat – IPA CIS IIMDD Director Ivan Mushket informed the representatives of the Party about the composition of the group, as well as that by the order of Chairpersonз of the IPA CIS Council, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko, Belarussian Senator Mikhail Rusy was appointed the IPA CIS Observer Team Coordinator.

The IPA CIS IIMDD Director stressed that the IPA CIS international observers adhere to the principles enshrined in the CIS Convention on the Standards of Democratic Elections, Electoral Rights and Freedoms: respect for state sovereignty, non-interference in the electoral process and objectivity.

First Secretary of the St. Petersburg City Committee of the KPRF, Head of the KPRF fraction in the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly Roman Kononenko told IPA CIS international observers about the progress of the Party’s campaign.

The representative of the KPRF said that at the moment the final list of observers from the Party in the region is being formed. In total, about 1000 people are planned to participate.

The presidential elections of Russia will be held on 15-17 March. As part of the long-term monitoring, IPA CIS international observers hold meetings with election organizers in the regions, as well as with representatives of candidate parties.